Apes in Lab Coats: Scientific Exploratory Behaviour in Homo sapiens

Abstract This study reports observations of scientists attempting to solve a standard experimental problem - DNA amplification through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) - in a ‘virtual’ laboratory. One striking observation is that scientists employ search strategies not dissimilar to the foraging strategies of apes and other animals. While such search strategies may be appropriate when exploring two- or three-dimensional environments, they are highly unsuited to exploring the complex multi-dimensional spaces representing many scientific and technical challenges. The evolution of exploratory behaviour in Homo sapiens may represent a major obstacle to the uptake of better tools. The wider adoption of mathematical and statistical tools designed for the exploration and mapping of such spaces may be constrained by our evolutionary biology.