Empowering the engines of knowing and creativity: Learning from experiments

Experiments play many different roles in research and education. The present contribution highlights their generative functions for creating and applying new knowledge. While in the traditional view experiments are considered mere test instances of models and theories, they can open up many productive moments beyond that formal role. With sufficient theoretical underpinning experimental actions can unfold a creative life of their own. The article substantiates the view of experiments as engines of intuition and knowing by providing examples from nanoscience. In combination with analogical reasoning, they demonstrate the productive interplay between theoretical and experience based knowledge in fostering a wider and more profound understanding and in promoting knowledge transfer between different domains of science.