Competitions have a history of successfully solving some of humanity’s most vexing problems—and the winners are often the most unlikely of candidates, according to Karim R. Lakhani, an assistant professor at the Business School and one of the professors behind the initiative.
For example, when the British Navy needed a device in the 1700s to accurately tell longitude, Isaac Newton claimed that navigating by stars was the only possible solution. But, Lakhani said, a watchmaker from the backwaters of Yorkshire solved the problem with a simple invention: the chronometer.
The Catalyst initiative seeks to gather ideas from those on the “fringes” of diabetes research, and from individuals who may not specifically study the disease but have reflected upon the condition, according to Eva C. Guinan, an HMS associate professor involved in the project.
The competition hopes to achieve what Lakhani calls the “democratization of science”—a goal that he said has been largely stymied by increasing academic specialization.
“There are many people who have ideas but don’t have the avenues to present them,” Lakhani said. “We feel that there are many smart people who may have thought about this or can think about it, and we’re giving them permission to think about it and then submit them.”
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/2/3/harvard-competition-research-community/
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