On the "aha moment"

As a scientist, I've had the privilege to experience the big "aha" moment a handful of times. Each time, I was struggling to make sense of something and the "aha experience" happened the moment I figured it out. What's remarkable about those moments is how vividly I remember the details of the moment: the color of the paint on the walls; how the room was configured; if I was talking to someone else, exactly where they were sitting ...

I've had other equally compelling findings emerge from my research program that I did not experience in the same way, because the "aha" was figured out by someone else (like a PhD student) and later explained to me. I was as befuddled by those questions, as curious to know their answers and as excited to see those answers figured out! However, I did not experience them in the same way insofar as today I can tell you the answers but not much about the moment I first learned them.

I anticipate that this experience is something universal (and not unique to science). Eve Marder discusses it as something to be cherished (and I agree):
https://elifesciences.org/articles/80711

Does this description of the "aha moment" (also called "Eureka") resonate with you?

Living Science: Maintaining the joy of discovery

Changes in science over the past 50 years have reduced the chances of trainees experiencing the joy of discovery.

eLife

@NicoleCRust I feel like these happen to me once every few months? Maybe my therapist for an "aha" moment is particularly low.

They can happen when doing data analysis or model building or in writing up my results (as Marder points to as well!).

I agree with Eve Marder about us being further from the raw experiments than in decades past (really, I'm too young to say, but I trust her impression). Nevertheless, I think the moments of discovery can happen just as often, but just in the analysis and theory stages. The iterative exploratory analysis of today can feel a bit like the experiments of the past.

@NicoleCRust

This quote really struck out to me:
"It dawned on us that many in this cohort had not read or written as much as we had by their age."

I wonder if this is due to a generation gap (everyone reads/writes less now) or due to selection bias (people who became professors read/wrote more than their peers).

As a grad student I have felt a difference in writing experience relative to professors, but I always imagined that we would be roughly similar at similar career stages. It would be really interesting to see statistics on this.

@lili
I think communication is just transforming. The bit rate of ideas on platforms like these is really high (even if it lacks depth).
@lili
Exciting! In this case, I think a low threshold is a wonderful gift.