This TEDtalk is by Stuart Fierstein a neuroscientist who promotes the need to “fart around in the dark”. He discusses how knowledge is not e.g. the iceberg model where what we know is just the tip and there is a set amount below the surface waiting to be uncovered. Instead, he believes that science (or knowledge) is more like the magic well where no matter how many buckets of water you take out there is always another to be had.

Stuart believes that we should value our ignorance, what we don’t know. We have to know what we don’t know in order to push and challenge the knowledge – a high-quality ignorance.

In schools, we are changing the way we think about education and more-often encouraging our students to make their thinking visible. I love his idea about promoting the asking of questions. Where does our wonder take us next? Encouraging our students to take action during inquiries that are promoting their questioning, making further connections and finding out more. Ignorance driving knowledge.