Science as a team sport

Here's a wild idea - let's foster community over competition.

Ever played Monopoly and think to yourself, hmm maybe this isn't the best Valentine's Day activity?

Competition can be a great motivator, a form of entertainment, and a catalyst for progress. It can also lead to some unwelcomed consequences (Taylor Swift's Bad Blood comes to mind). It's a balancing act, a paradox, like so many things.

Competition is a part of science. With limited funding, resources, skilled personnel, and the crown jewel — publication spots in top tier journals — there are going to be perceived "winners" and "losers". However, I'm going to advocate for another perspective.

Let's think big picture about this. That's right, let's get philosophical! (Good t-shirt slogan, right?). What is the purpose of science? I'm not attempting to have an all-encompassing answer, but my Strawberry Shortcake Frappuccino is providing me with the confidence I need to give this a whirl. I believe that a purpose of science is to discover truths about the universe to improve lives. There are different strategies that we can use to tackle this goal (Oops, did I mix up my sports metaphors there?).

Competition is one strategy. For example, different labs working on similar drugs and racing to the finish line (Who can develop their therapy faster? Publish first? Be awarded more accolades? Etc.) .

The strategy I would like to promote is teamwork. I know, some people may be thinking, "Well Marissa, it looks like you've been living on the west coast for a little too long now. Teamwork? Life isn't all cherry blossoms and sushi. It's tough out there and it's not possible for everyone to get along." Or maybe that's just my chatter.

The strategy I am discussing is more nuanced than simply getting along with everyone. In his book, Hidden Potential, Adam Grant describes the key element harnessed by effective teams — collective intelligence (1).

Collective intelligence is "a group's capacity to solve problems" (1).

I will touch upon one aspect of collective intelligence for today — team processes. It may seem intuitive that the best teams would be made up of the "best" players. But this isn't the case. Research shows that effective teams aren't necessarily the ones with the all-star rosters, they're the ones with the best prosocial skills, those that excel at collaboration. What does this mean? "Unleashing hidden potential is about more than having the best pieces—it's about having the best glue" (1).

In science we often focus on experts, geniuses who come up with brilliant ideas. But if we want to be more effective in discovering truths about the universe that can improve lives, I believe it's time to move beyond the lone wolf idea. We need each other and we need to recognize it.

My hope is that we build a community who sees each other, values different perspectives, and works together to solve problems.

There is more to collective intelligence, but since it is almost dinner time for my cat, (a demanding customer), I will leave it here for now.

Until next time, dream big, love fiercely, laugh often, and sparkle.

References:

1. Grant, Adam. Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. Viking, 2023.