Part II - The Science of Collaboration

Summary

We introduce Part II by sharing the story of the LIGO experiment which validated Einstein’s theory of general relativity and which many consider to be the “discovery of the twenty-first century.” While Einstein’s discovery was made by a single scientist, the LIGO experiment involved the contributions of over 1,000 authors. These two discoveries, made 100 years apart, speak to the changing nature of science, where 90% of papers now are written by teams. In Part II we will explore the implications of collaborative work, the benefits and challenges of working in teams, and the factors that help and hinder team effectiveness.