The more we ignore the cognitive barriers we have placed upon the world, the greater our ability to problem solve. My own lab group (chemists and materials scientists) recently collaborated with microbiologists, civil engineers, and industrial engineers to produce a feed spacer which blocks biofouling in RO membranes using technology originally developed for use in medical devices using a catalytic process discovered by a nutritionist. It reduces biofouling by 3-5 logs, which is unprecedented, using a process that engineers never could have come up with had they remained focused on their own narrow field.
There is a reason that most universities are now encouraging collaboration between different departments.
It is useful to have specialized knowledge, of course, but we mustn’t limit ourselves to our respective fields. Honestly, I think I would be against the creation of new fields of study at this point. Rather, people should be encouraged to work together with people of diverse backgrounds so we can apply what we have learned in one field to others.
As to the question, to pull a Rumsfeld, we have known unknowns and unknown unknowns. I could only guess at where the trend toward broad-based collaboration will lead us.
The more we ignore the cognitive barriers we have placed upon the world, the greater our ability to problem solve. My own lab group (chemists and materials scientists) recently collaborated with microbiologists, civil engineers, and industrial engineers to produce a feed spacer which blocks biofouling in RO membranes using technology originally developed for use in medical devices using a catalytic process discovered by a nutritionist. It reduces biofouling by 3-5 logs, which is unprecedented, using a process that engineers never could have come up with had they remained focused on their own narrow field.
There is a reason that most universities are now encouraging collaboration between different departments.
It is useful to have specialized knowledge, of course, but we mustn’t limit ourselves to our respective fields. Honestly, I think I would be against the creation of new fields of study at this point. Rather, people should be encouraged to work together with people of diverse backgrounds so we can apply what we have learned in one field to others.
As to the question, to pull a Rumsfeld, we have known unknowns and unknown unknowns. I could only guess at where the trend toward broad-based collaboration will lead us.