#1 Common sense: Now that I have a break between chores, instead of doing nothing but watching time goes by, why not find something meaningful to do?

The scientific mind: Researchers tend to make good use of the waiting periods (e.g. incubation time, reaction time) between experimental procedures. Things like labeling tubes, cleaning up, preparing reagents, having a lunch or coffee break, etc. can be done during this time. Good researchers THINK AHEAD and see what can be done in between experiments so that their time is maximized.

Common Sense Vs. The Scientific Mind

"The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking." (Albert Einstein)
As a graduate research assistant in a virology/immunology laboratory, I'm seeing more and more the brilliancy of this quote and at the same time feeling a sense of humbleness and awe that God created not just a few but all people to have minds for scientific research. Many things that I've learned from observing and doing research, interestingly, find their origin in our common sense. Here I'd like to share a few examples with you.