Nobel Prize-winning scientists are about 25 times more likely to sing, dance or act than the average scientist.
Albert Einstein used music for scientific inspiration. (Credit: Alamy)
On the BBC Worklife blog David Robson has been doing a deep dive into what makes a polymath, and he's been wondering if their cross-discipline expertise can help tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges.
He cites evidence that "developing diverse disciplines can fuel creativity and productivity. So while the pursuit of a second or third interest may seem like a distraction, it can actually boost your success in your primary field".
He discovers that "studies have found that Nobel Prize-winning scientists are about 25 times more likely to sing, dance or act than the average scientist. They are also 17 times more likely to create visual art, 12 times more likely to write poetry and four times more likely to be a musician."
And he learns that "there is now a growing recognition that, when concentrating on any complex endeavor, the brain often reaches a kind of saturation point, after which your attention may fade and any extra effort may fail to pay off. But if you turn to another, unrelated activity, you may find that you are better able to apply yourself. Shifting between different kinds of tasks can therefore boost your overall productivity."
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