Margaret Turbull's comments about knowing when to build bridges between disciplines (and when not to) is an appropriate final installment of the RevMinds interview series. Over the last several months we've heard our multidisciplinary experts sound off on the following timely questions:
- The boundaries of science are continually expanding as scientists become increasingly integral to finding solutions for larger social issues, such as poverty, conflict, financial crises, etc. On what specific issue/problem do you feel we need to bring the scientific lens to bear?
- Cross-disciplinary work has sparked provocative new technologies, solutions, and insights. What problems do you see as ripe for cross-disciplinary research, and which fields would you choose to combine?
- What cross-disciplinary approaches have you seen work for your field and why? When is a cross-disciplinary approach not appropriate?
These queries have been answered with imagination and insight and we've been privy to a stready stream of amazing projects that the RevMinds are directly involved in or actively tracking. From family dynamics to docuinformatics, the economics of sustainable environments to the cognitive life of things—we even learned about a provocative theatre piece dedicated to neurology. I've done my best to keep pace with this whirlwind of ingenuity with related commentary and links focusing on topics like data visualization, design fiction, precision farming and developments in healthcare and the information sciences. It has been a blast and I can't recall a publication where I was fortunate enough to be able to examine the economics of tourism one week and robotics the next. Many thanks to ScienceBlogs community manager Erin Johnson for the invitation to post here, but most importantly thanks to the RevMinds for their astute observations on technology, design and making the world a better place.
Anthony Dunne, Fernando Esponda, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Edward Einhorn, John Wilbanks, Josh Ruxin, Margaret Turnbull, Moshe Pritsker, Lambros Malafouris, Nick Matzke, Michelle Borkin, Saleem Ali and Skylar Tibbits - please take a bow! We look forward to watching you continue to innovate and inspire.
