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Krishna: Yes, I did! Most of the successful scientists do this.

Present day scientific research can succeed only when you can creatively connect different subjects. You can find solutions to problems humanity is facing only when all the specialists come together.

Collaboration is important in science because it helps scientists improve their work, make new discoveries, and share their findings with the world. When one scientist works alone, they can make mistakes or miss a key piece of information that could change their entire approach to a problem.

Team collaboration results in more creative solutions, improved decision-making, enhanced problem-solving, and increased success rate.

The opportunity for companies and labs to share expertise and resources was the most agreed upon reason among experts justifying the importance of research collaboration. Doing so helps to drive innovation and speed up things like drug development, which is crucial when working towards developing successful treatments for a range of complex diseases.

Scientific knowledge is far too large for one single person or entity to have expertise in every area. Only if I collaborate with a person from another area and learn things from him/her with regard to a problem, I can succeed in a minimum amount of time.

I usually have ‘some knowledge’ about several fields of science. I can think creatively because of knowledge in several fields and connect them with ease. Then when I approach the experts in a particular field who I think can help me with my work, I approach the person, have deep discussions with the person. If I think this can lead to a successful solution, I learn more about the subject, collaborate with the person and gain fast and smooth success.

Collaboration and communication are important in science because they allow scientists to work together, share ideas, and build upon each other's research. Without learning and having knowledge in various fields it is difficult to succeed in scientific research in today’s world.

A specialist knows a lot about a little and a generalist knows just enough about a lot. But the generalist may have considerable knowledge in many areas. You have to be a generalist before becoming a specialist. The graduate and PG levels make you a generalist while a PhD makes you a specialist. Because you passed through the general knowledge, you naturally have some basic knowledge in most science subjects.

You can build on that knowledge as you go up and up if you really want to succeed..

Moreover, as a science communicator, I cannot move forward if I don’t learn at least basics in every subject in the scientific field.

So I am a kind of generalist-specialist. Not a specialist in all the arenas of science, though.

I can manage as my training as a scientist made me negotiate the maze with ease.

Then you added , ‘even if they’re hard for you to learn’.

Once you are trained as a scientist, I don’t think it will be that difficult to learn other subjects. Because you know the fundamentals on which science is built. You have to learn a little bit of jargon, though.

Without hard work, you cannot go forward in science. And I am used to hard work.

As I love science and knowledge, I love learning new things. It gives me a high.

So I don’t feel it is hard.

Why science, I learnt several other subjects too like art, literature, designing, creating and running various social media sites, social work and several other things.

Each one gave me more ‘kick’ to learn more and more about more and more. Once you enter this learning process, there won’t be any escape. It will have you in its total grip!

I am so addicted to it that I can never stop learning now!

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