"I did the sampling, ran the stuff, nuked it out, [instrumental neutron activation analysis] and published in a journal called Primates,"1 says Mahaney, who now looks for extremophiles in outrageously cold places. "We got 500-plus reprint requests. People in all disciplines were interested," including zoologists, chemists, biologists, botanists, anthropologists, physicians, and primatologists. "I couldn't believe it."
For the 35 years that Mahaney has worked in soil, he sought the know-how of those outside his discipline to help solve riddles. "I just do it because it seems interesting," he says. The reprint requests from all those scientists indicate that Mahaney was not alone in his thinking.
Traditionally, the practice of interdisciplinary research (IR) has been an informal, pass-you-in-the-hallway kind of event. And while this casual contact surely still exists, a more formal, organized way of conducting such research has permeated the scientific community over the last few years. A holistic approach ...
