Research begins with a desire to ask and answer questions, thereby contributing to the greater sum of human knowledge and culture . Research often involves some hypothesis, question, or avenue of inquiry. Why is this plant a particular color? Why is this plant species a different color in different soil conditions or ecosystems?

inquiry

How you think: In 1985, the writer and critic Howard Rheingold published Tools for Thought: The History and Future of Mind-Expanding Technology , which sought to give a brief history of “the idea that people could use computers to amplify thought and communication, as tools for intellectual work and social activity.”

Research is conventionally understood as occurring within academia—and potentially in government or corporate research labs, think tanks, and similar institutions. But the phrase “research as leisure activity” suggests, for me, a form of research that is explicitly not isolated to traditional institutions.

Research as a leisure activity includes the... See more

There’s something deeply compelling to me about the idea that research—in some form—can be done by anyone with a serious commitment to intellectual inquiry.