“On Saturday, you don’t have to be completely rational,” according to scientist Oliver Smithies. In his excellent book Range, David Epstein explains how Nobel prize-winning Smithies practised what he called Saturday Morning Experiments. Nobody else was around in the lab, so he felt free to muck about. There was no need to weigh things carefully or decide whether this was really a good use of his time.
Although he did once accidentally dissolve an important piece of equipment, Smithies also achieved many breakthroughs. A lifetime of weekend experimentation led to a major paper at the age of 60 and a Nobel Prize 20 years later, in recognition of his work on disease-causing genes.
Naturally, colleagues wondered why Smithies bothered to come to work during the week. They supported his efforts by saving damaged equipment he could tinker with. It would be labelled ‘NBGBOKFO’ – “no bloody good, but OK for Oliver”. Sadly, these days, academics are likely to be occupied on Saturdays with marking and teaching prep, rather than experimenting. And universities are much more focused on clearly defined (and often unrealistic) targets.
The rest of us probably have things that are no bloody good: half-finished drafts, abandoned musical instruments, or antiquated computers. When the stakes are low, it’s easier to experiment. We’re encouraged to spend our weekends consuming, rather than creating. But putting aside time to play without expectation of certain outcomes inspires creativity, insights, and new skills. This willingness to experiment can also help us prepare better for an uncertain job market. Maybe we won’t win a Nobel Prize, but we might just get a breakthrough of our own.