Beau Lotto + Amy O'Toole: Science is for everyone, kids included

Summary

In this engaging TED Talk, Beau Lotto demonstrates the power of perception and the importance of questioning the status quo. He introduces the concept that our perceptions are shaped by past experiences, highlighting the limitations this imposes on our ability to see things differently. Lotto then shares the story of the Blackawton Bees Project, where children aged 8 to 10 conducted a scientific experiment to explore if bees can solve complex problems like humans. The project not only challenged conventional views on the capabilities of children and bees but also resulted in a published scientific paper co-authored by the young students, showcasing the potential for anyone to contribute to scientific discovery through play and curiosity.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Perception is shaped by our past experiences and the brain's interpretation of information.
• 🐸 Our perception is similar to a frog's, where we only see what was useful to us in the past.
• 🤔 The process of questioning and embracing uncertainty is crucial for new discoveries and learning.
• 🎲 Play is an evolutionary response to uncertainty and is a fundamental aspect of human behavior and learning.
• 🧩 Play and science share similar traits, such as adaptability, openness to change, and cooperative nature.
• 👧👦 Children, being experts in play, can be effective in the scientific process and contribute meaningfully to it.
• 🏫 The Blackawton Bees Project demonstrates that children can engage in scientific inquiry and make significant contributions.
• 🔬 The project involved designing an experiment to see if bees can think like humans by solving complex problems.
• 📝 The children wrote a scientific paper in their own words, which was eventually published after peer review.
• 🌟 Amy O'Toole, one of the children involved, became one of the youngest published scientists in the world.
• 👂 Science education should empower individuals to express their ideas and encourage the exploration of new concepts.

Q & A

What is the main concept discussed in the script?

The main concept discussed in the script is the nature of perception and how it is grounded in our experience, as well as the importance of play and questioning in fostering new perceptions and scientific discovery.

What is the significance of the word puzzle presented to the audience?

The word puzzle 'Wat ar ou rea in?' is significant because it demonstrates how our perception is influenced by our past experiences and expectations, leading us to see what we expect to see rather than the actual arrangement of letters.

Why does the speaker mention the frog in the script?

The speaker mentions the frog as a metaphor for how our perception works, highlighting that we are all like the frog in the sense that we gather information and generate behavior that is useful based on our past experiences.

What is the role of uncertainty in the process of perception and learning?

Uncertainty plays a crucial role in perception and learning as it pushes us out of our comfort zone and encourages us to question our existing beliefs and perceptions, which is essential for growth and the acquisition of new knowledge.

What does the speaker mean by saying that 'play is one of the only human endeavors where uncertainty is actually celebrated'?

The speaker means that play is a unique activity where the unpredictability and openness of outcomes are embraced and enjoyed, unlike in other areas of life where uncertainty is often viewed negatively.

How does the script relate play to the process of scientific discovery?

The script relates play to scientific discovery by suggesting that the qualities needed for effective play—adaptability, openness to change, cooperation, and intrinsic motivation—are also essential for being a good scientist and engaging in the scientific process.

What was the aim of taking the bee arena to a small school in Devon?

The aim was to engage children in the scientific process and to help them see both science and themselves differently, by asking questions and conducting experiments that could contribute to scientific knowledge.

What was the question that the children of the Blackawton Bees Project came up with?

The children wondered if humans and bees might solve complex problems in the same way, questioning whether bees can adapt to new situations using previously learned rules and conditions, essentially asking if bees can think like humans.

Can you describe the experiment designed by the children in the script?

The children designed an experiment where bees were trained to recognize a certain color flower only when it was in a specific pattern. The bees were rewarded if they chose the yellow flowers surrounded by blue or the blue flowers surrounded by yellow, testing the bees' ability to learn and apply if-then rules.

What was the reaction of the scientific community to the children's paper?

The paper, initially rejected due to its unconventional format and presentation, was later published in Biology Letters after positive reviews from leading scientists who praised its originality and the quality of the work, making the children the youngest published scientists in the world.

What does the script suggest about the potential of children in the field of science?

The script suggests that children have a great potential in the field of science, as they possess qualities such as curiosity, interest, innocence, and zeal, which are fundamental for scientific exploration and discovery.

How does the script conclude about the role of science in changing perceptions?

The script concludes that science offers the possibility to step into uncertainty and change our perceptions through the process of play, and that true science education should empower individuals to express their ideas and discoveries.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Perception and the Power of Play

In this engaging segment, Beau Lotto introduces the audience to the concept of perception, demonstrating how our experiences shape what we see. He uses a simple game to show that we often interpret information based on past usefulness rather than objective reality. Lotto then delves into the idea that perception is the foundation of all our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. He highlights the challenge of seeing differently and introduces the notion that questions and uncertainty are essential for new perceptions and creativity. Lotto argues that play, as an evolutionary answer to uncertainty, is a critical component of scientific inquiry, as it fosters adaptability, creativity, and social bonding. He concludes by suggesting that anyone can become a scientist by embracing the mindset of play and questioning the status quo.

05:02

👦 The Blackawton Bees Project: Children as Scientists

This paragraph details the Blackawton Bees Project, an initiative where children aged eight to ten were encouraged to engage in scientific inquiry. Despite skepticism from scientists and educators, Beau Lotto and his team proceeded with the study, which aimed to explore whether bees and humans could solve complex problems in similar ways. Amy O'Toole, one of the young participants, shares the children's hypothesis and describes the experiment they designed to test it. The children's innovative approach involved teaching bees to associate colors and patterns to receive rewards, a task no one had previously attempted. The project not only challenged conventional views on the capabilities of children but also highlighted the importance of courage and curiosity in scientific exploration.

10:03

📝 The Journey from Crayons to Publication

The narrative continues with the story of transforming the children's scientific experiment into a formal research paper. The paper, co-authored by the young students of Blackawton Primary School, was initially rejected by a journal due to its unconventional presentation, including crayon-drawn figures and a 'kidspeak' narrative. Undeterred, the team sought expert reviews from leading scientists, who praised the paper's originality and significance. With additional commentary to situate the findings for a scientific audience, the paper was eventually published in Biology Letters, making the students the youngest published scientists. The paper's publication and subsequent acclaim underscore the value of nurturing curiosity and providing opportunities for all to contribute to scientific knowledge.

15:05

👏 Embracing the Power of Discovery and Change

In the final paragraph, Amy O'Toole reflects on the impact of the Blackawton Bees Project on her perception of science. She emphasizes the excitement of discovery and the realization that anyone has the potential to make significant contributions to science. Amy shares her personal transformation, moving from viewing science as a boring subject to recognizing it as an avenue for exploration and innovation. The project's success and the positive feedback from the scientific community and the public highlight the importance of providing opportunities for young minds to engage with scientific inquiry. Amy's story serves as an inspiring reminder of the power of play, curiosity, and the potential for change in scientific education.

Keywords

💡Perception

Perception refers to the process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information to give meaning to what we see, hear, and feel. In the video, perception is highlighted as being grounded in our experiences, which means that what we see is heavily influenced by our past and what we've found useful to see before. The example of the audience reading the words incorrectly illustrates how our brains try to make sense of information based on our previous knowledge.

💡Uncertainty

Uncertainty is a state of being unsure or lacking information. In the context of the video, uncertainty is presented as something that evolutionarily is to be avoided, as it can be dangerous (e.g., not recognizing a predator). However, it is also portrayed as a necessary component for innovation and discovery. The video suggests that stepping into uncertainty is the first step towards asking new questions and making new discoveries.

💡Play

Play is described in the video as a fundamental human endeavor that is characterized by uncertainty, adaptability, openness, cooperation, and intrinsic motivation. It is suggested that play is not just a recreational activity but a way of being that is essential for creativity and learning. The video connects play to the process of scientific discovery, indicating that the mindset of play is crucial for asking questions and exploring the unknown.

💡Science

Science, in the video, is not just about a systematic method or experimental procedures; it is a way of being that involves curiosity, questioning, and the willingness to explore the unknown. The video emphasizes that being a good scientist requires the same mindset as play, including embracing uncertainty and being cooperative. The Blackawton Bees Project exemplifies this by involving children in the scientific process, showing that anyone can engage in scientific inquiry.

💡Experiment

An experiment, as discussed in the video, is a structured form of play with defined rules. It is a method used in science to test hypotheses and observe outcomes. The video uses the term to describe the process of setting up a puzzle for bees to solve, which is a way of asking questions and seeking answers through systematic observation and manipulation of variables.

💡Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation refers to the internal drive to engage in an activity for the sake of the activity itself, rather than for external rewards. The video mentions that play is intrinsically motivated, meaning that people play because they enjoy the activity, not because they are seeking a reward. This concept is linked to the joy of discovery and the process of science, suggesting that true scientific inquiry is driven by curiosity and the love of learning.

💡Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to adjust to new conditions or changes. In the video, it is mentioned as a key characteristic of play and an essential quality for a good scientist. The Blackawton Bees Project explores this concept by investigating whether bees, like humans, can adapt to new situations using previously learned rules, highlighting the importance of adaptability in both animal behavior and scientific inquiry.

💡Courage

Courage, in the context of the video, is the quality of being brave and willing to take risks, especially when facing the unknown. The video portrays science and the act of asking questions as courageous because they involve stepping into uncertainty. Amy O'Toole, one of the young participants in the project, is introduced as an embodiment of courage for her willingness to participate in the scientific process and share her ideas.

💡Discovery

Discovery is the act of finding or uncovering new information or knowledge. The video emphasizes that the process of discovery is exciting and accessible to anyone, as demonstrated by the children's involvement in the Blackawton Bees Project. The project shows that even a small question can lead to significant discoveries and that the process of play can lead to new insights and understanding.

💡Publication

Publication, in the context of the video, refers to the process of making research findings available to the public through scientific journals or other media. The video describes the journey of the children's research from the initial idea to its publication in a scientific journal, highlighting the challenges and the significance of sharing scientific findings with the wider scientific community and the public.

Highlights

Perception is grounded in our experience - we only see what was useful to see in the past

New perceptions begin with a question, which creates uncertainty

Uncertainty is evolutionarily bad, but necessary for doing anything new

Play is how evolution addresses the problem of uncertainty - it celebrates it

Play is a way of being that is adaptable, opens possibilities, and is cooperative

Being a good scientist requires the same qualities as play - curiosity, adaptability, cooperation

Science is not just a method, but a way of being

Experiments are a form of play with added rules

Can anyone become a scientist? The Blackawton Bees Project aimed to find out

25 children aged 8-10 designed and conducted a study on whether bees think like humans

The children's questions led to a published science paper, despite initial skepticism

The study showed children have the curiosity, interest, innocence and zeal needed for science

The children designed an experiment using if-then rules to test bee cognition

The children collected data on bee behavior and wrote up their findings in a unique, kid-friendly paper

The paper was ultimately published in Biology Letters after peer review and commentary

The children became the youngest published scientists in the world, with their work widely recognized

The project showed that anyone has the potential to make a scientific discovery with the right opportunity

Science offers the chance to step into uncertainty and see the world in a new way

True science education should empower people to express their curiosity and discover something new

Transcripts

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

Beau Lotto: So, this game is very simple.

All you have to do is read what you see. Right?

So, I'm going to count to you, so we don't all do it together.

Okay, one, two, three.Audience: Can you read this?

BL: Amazing. What about this one? One, two, three.Audience: You are not reading this.

BL: All right. One, two, three. (Laughter)

If you were Portuguese, right? How about this one? One, two, three.

Audience: What are you reading?

BL: What are you reading? There are no words there.

I said, read what you're seeing. Right?

It literally says, "Wat ar ou rea in?" (Laughter) Right?

That's what you should have said. Right? Why is this?

It's because perception is grounded in our experience.

Right? The brain takes meaningless information

and makes meaning out of it, which means we never see

what's there, we never see information,

we only ever see what was useful to see in the past.

All right? Which means, when it comes to perception,

we're all like this frog.

(Laughter)

Right? It's getting information. It's generating behavior

that's useful. (Laughter)

(Laughter)

(Video) Man: Ow! Ow! (Laughter) (Applause)

BL: And sometimes, when things don't go our way,

we get a little bit annoyed, right?

But we're talking about perception here, right?

And perception underpins everything we think, we know,

we believe, our hopes, our dreams, the clothes we wear,

falling in love, everything begins with perception.

Now if perception is grounded in our history, it means

we're only ever responding according to what we've done before.

But actually, it's a tremendous problem,

because how can we ever see differently?

Now, I want to tell you a story about seeing differently,

and all new perceptions begin in the same way.

They begin with a question.

The problem with questions is they create uncertainty.

Now, uncertainty is a very bad thing. It's evolutionarily

a bad thing. If you're not sure that's a predator, it's too late.

Okay? (Laughter)

Even seasickness is a consequence of uncertainty.

Right? If you go down below on a boat, your inner ears

are you telling you you're moving. Your eyes, because

it's moving in register with the boat, say I'm standing still.

Your brain cannot deal with the uncertainty of that information, and it gets ill.

The question "why?" is one of the most dangerous things you can do,

because it takes you into uncertainty.

And yet, the irony is, the only way we can ever

do anything new is to step into that space.

So how can we ever do anything new? Well fortunately,

evolution has given us an answer, right?

And it enables us to address even the most difficult

of questions. The best questions are the ones that create the most uncertainty.

They're the ones that question the things we think to be true already. Right?

It's easy to ask questions about how did life begin,

or what extends beyond the universe, but to question what you think to be true already

is really stepping into that space.

So what is evolution's answer to the problem of uncertainty?

It's play.

Now play is not simply a process. Experts in play will tell you

that actually it's a way of being.

Play is one of the only human endeavors where uncertainty

is actually celebrated. Uncertainty is what makes play fun.

Right? It's adaptable to change. Right? It opens possibility,

and it's cooperative. It's actually how we do our social bonding,

and it's intrinsically motivated. What that means

is that we play to play. Play is its own reward.

Now if you look at these five ways of being,

these are the exact same ways of being you need

in order to be a good scientist.

Science is not defined by the method section of a paper.

It's actually a way of being, which is here, and this is true

for anything that is creative.

So if you add rules to play, you have a game.

That's actually what an experiment is.

So armed with these two ideas,

that science is a way of being and experiments are play,

we asked, can anyone become a scientist?

And who better to ask than 25 eight- to 10-year-old children?

Because they're experts in play. So I took my bee arena

down to a small school in Devon, and the aim of this

was to not just get the kids to see science differently,

but, through the process of science, to see themselves differently. Right?

The first step was to ask a question.

Now, I should say that we didn't get funding for this study

because the scientists said small children couldn't make

a useful contribution to science, and the teachers said kids couldn't do it.

So we did it anyway. Right? Of course.

So, here are some of the questions. I put them in small print

so you wouldn't bother reading it. Point is that five of the questions that the kids came up with

were actually the basis of science publication the last five to 15 years. Right?

So they were asking questions that were significant

to expert scientists.

Now here, I want to share the stage with someone quite special. Right?

She was one of the young people who was involved in this study,

and she's now one of the youngest published scientists

in the world. Right? She will now, once she comes onto stage,

will be the youngest person to ever speak at TED. Right?

Now, science and asking questions is about courage.

Now she is the personification of courage, because she's

going to stand up here and talk to you all.

So Amy, would you please come up? (Applause)

(Applause)

So Amy's going to help me tell the story of what we call

the Blackawton Bees Project, and first she's going to tell you

the question that they came up with. So go ahead, Amy.

Amy O'Toole: Thank you, Beau. We thought

that it was easy to see the link between humans and apes

in the way that we think, because we look alike.

But we wondered if there's a possible link

with other animals. It'd be amazing if humans and bees

thought similar, since they seem so different from us.

So we asked if humans and bees might solve

complex problems in the same way.

Really, we wanted to know if bees can also adapt

themselves to new situations using previously learned rules

and conditions. So what if bees can think like us?

Well, it'd be amazing, since we're talking about an insect

with only one million brain cells.

But it actually makes a lot of sense they should,

because bees, like us, can recognize a good flower

regardless of the time of day, the light, the weather,

or from any angle they approach it from. (Applause)

BL: So the next step was to design an experiment,

which is a game. So the kids went off and they designed

this experiment, and so -- well, game -- and so,

Amy, can you tell us what the game was,

and the puzzle that you set the bees?

AO: The puzzle we came up with was an if-then rule.

We asked the bees to learn not just to go to a certain color,

but to a certain color flower only

when it's in a certain pattern.

They were only rewarded if they went to the yellow flowers

if the yellow flowers were surrounded by the blue,

or if the blue flowers were surrounded by the yellow.

Now there's a number of different rules the bees can learn

to solve this puzzle. The interesting question is, which?

What was really exciting about this project was we,

and Beau, had no idea whether it would work.

It was completely new, and no one had done it before,

including adults. (Laughter)

BL: Including the teachers, and that was really hard for the teachers.

It's easy for a scientist to go in and not have a clue what he's doing,

because that's what we do in the lab, but for a teacher

not to know what's going to happen at the end of the day --

so much of the credit goes to Dave Strudwick, who was

the collaborator on this project. Okay?

So I'm not going to go through the whole details of the study

because actually you can read about it, but the next step

is observation. So here are some of the students

doing the observations. They're recording the data

of where the bees fly.

(Video) Dave Strudwick: So what we're going to do —Student: 5C.

Dave Strudwick: Is she still going up here?Student: Yeah.

Dave Strudwick: So you keep track of each.Student: Henry, can you help me here?

BL: "Can you help me, Henry?" What good scientist says that, right?

Student: There's two up there.

And three in here.

BL: Right? So we've got our observations. We've got our data.

They do the simple mathematics, averaging, etc., etc.

And now we want to share. That's the next step.

So we're going to write this up and try to submit this

for publication. Right? So we have to write it up.

So we go, of course, to the pub. All right? (Laughter)

The one on the left is mine, okay? (Laughter)

Now, I tell them, a paper has four different sections:

an introduction, a methods, a results, a discussion.

The introduction says, what's the question and why?

Methods, what did you do? Results, what was the observation?

And the discussion is, who cares? Right?

That's a science paper, basically. (Laughter)

So the kids give me the words, right? I put it into a narrative,

which means that this paper is written in kidspeak.

It's not written by me. It's written by Amy

and the other students in the class. As a consequence,

this science paper begins, "Once upon a time ... " (Laughter)

The results section, it says: "Training phase, the puzzle ... duh duh duuuuuhhh." Right? (Laughter)

And the methods, it says, "Then we put the bees

into the fridge (and made bee pie)," smiley face. Right? (Laughter)

This is a science paper. We're going to try to get it published.

So here's the title page. We have a number of authors there.

All the ones in bold are eight to 10 years old.

The first author is Blackawton Primary School, because

if it were ever referenced, it would be "Blackawton et al,"

and not one individual. So we submit it to a public access journal,

and it says this. It said many things, but it said this.

"I'm afraid the paper fails our initial quality control checks in several different ways." (Laughter)

In other words, it starts off "once upon a time,"

the figures are in crayon, etc. (Laughter)

So we said, we'll get it reviewed. So I sent it to Dale Purves,

who is at the National Academy of Science, one of the leading neuroscientists in the world,

and he says, "This is the most original science paper I have ever read" — (Laughter) —

"and it certainly deserves wide exposure."

Larry Maloney, expert in vision, says, "The paper is magnificent.

The work would be publishable if done by adults."

So what did we do? We send it back to the editor.

They say no.

So we asked Larry and Natalie Hempel to write

a commentary situating the findings for scientists, right,

putting in the references, and we submit it to Biology Letters.

And there, it was reviewed by five independent referees,

and it was published. Okay? (Applause)

(Applause)

It took four months to do the science,

two years to get it published. (Laughter)

Typical science, actually, right? So this makes Amy and

her friends the youngest published scientists in the world.

What was the feedback like?

Well, it was published two days before Christmas,

downloaded 30,000 times in the first day, right?

It was the Editors' Choice in Science, which is a top science magazine.

It's forever freely accessible by Biology Letters.

It's the only paper that will ever be freely accessible by this journal.

Last year, it was the second-most downloaded paper

by Biology Letters, and the feedback from not just scientists

and teachers but the public as well.

And I'll just read one.

"I have read 'Blackawton Bees' recently. I don't have

words to explain exactly how I am feeling right now.

What you guys have done is real, true and amazing.

Curiosity, interest, innocence and zeal are the most basic

and most important things to do science.

Who else can have these qualities more than children?

Please congratulate your children's team from my side."

So I'd like to conclude with a physical metaphor.

Can I do it on you? (Laughter)

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, come on. Yeah yeah. Okay.

Now, science is about taking risks, so this is an incredible risk, right? (Laughter)

For me, not for him. Right? Because we've only done this once before. (Laughter)

And you like technology, right?

Shimon Schocken: Right, but I like myself.

BL: This is the epitome of technology. Right. Okay.

Now ... (Laughter)

Okay. (Laughter)

Now, we're going to do a little demonstration, right?

You have to close your eyes, and you have to point

where you hear me clapping. All right?

(Clapping)

(Clapping)

Okay, how about if everyone over there shouts. One, two, three?

Audience: (Shouts)

(Laughter)

(Shouts) (Laughter)

Brilliant. Now, open your eyes. We'll do it one more time.

Everyone over there shout. (Shouts)

Where's the sound coming from? (Laughter) (Applause)

Thank you very much. (Applause)

What's the point? The point is what science does for us.

Right? We normally walk through life responding,

but if we ever want to do anything different, we have to

step into uncertainty. When he opened his eyes,

he was able to see the world in a new way.

That's what science offers us. It offers the possibility

to step on uncertainty through the process of play, right?

Now, true science education I think should be about

giving people a voice and enabling to express that voice,

so I've asked Amy to be the last voice in this short story.

So, Amy?

AO: This project was really exciting for me,

because it brought the process of discovery to life,

and it showed me that anyone, and I mean anyone,

has the potential to discover something new,

and that a small question can lead into a big discovery.

Changing the way a person thinks about something

can be easy or hard. It all depends on the way the person

feels about change.

But changing the way I thought about science was

surprisingly easy. Once we played the games

and then started to think about the puzzle,

I then realized that science isn't just a boring subject,

and that anyone can discover something new.

You just need an opportunity. My opportunity came

in the form of Beau, and the Blackawton Bee Project.

Thank you.BL: Thank you very much. (Applause)

(Applause)