Why Curiosity Matters More Than Ever
Every major invention begins with one question: What if?
That simple spark—curiosity—has driven centuries of progress. From the steam engine to spaceflight, it’s the one trait all great engineers share.
Curiosity isn’t just daydreaming or idle wondering. It’s the engine behind discovery. It pushes engineers to explore problems others avoid, ask harder questions, and build what seems impossible.
A survey by the National Academy of Engineering found that over 70% of top innovators credited curiosity as the most important factor in their breakthroughs. Not talent. Not funding. Curiosity.
Few careers show this better than that of Sergey Macheret, an engineer and plasma physicist who has spent decades chasing answers most people wouldn’t even think to ask.
The Power of Asking “Why?”
Curiosity is a simple word for something powerful. It starts when someone refuses to accept what’s already known. Every great invention in engineering history started with that refusal.
When Thomas Edison tested thousands of materials for a lightbulb filament, he wasn’t being stubborn—he was curious. When engineers at NASA turned a parachute into a supersonic braking system for Mars landers, they weren’t playing around—they were exploring.
Curiosity drives experimentation, and experimentation drives innovation. It’s a loop.
According to a 2023 MIT study, engineers who reported “high curiosity” were twice as likely to find new solutions in complex design challenges. They also showed stronger persistence when projects failed.
In other words, curiosity keeps people in the fight when things get tough.
Learning from Sergey Macheret’s Curiosity
Sergey Macheret didn’t plan his career around being safe. He built it around questions.
As a young student in Moscow, he became fascinated by plasma—the mysterious “fourth state of matter” that glows in lightning and stars. “It was unpredictable and alive,” he once said in an interview. “Every time you thought you understood it, it would surprise you again.”
That curiosity led him through some of the world’s most demanding research environments: the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, Princeton University, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, and Purdue University.
At Lockheed, he worked on plasma technologies that could change how aircraft move through the air. He once described spending weeks troubleshooting a single anomaly in a plasma flow experiment. “Everyone thought it was a sensor error,” he said, “but it wasn’t. It was something new happening in the plasma itself. That small glitch became the start of a bigger idea.”
That “glitch” turned into a line of research that helped improve plasma generation and control in aerospace applications. It’s a perfect example of how curiosity—simply asking why something happened—can lead to an entire field of discovery.
Why Curiosity Leads to Breakthroughs
It Sparks Creativity
Engineers are problem-solvers. But the best ones aren’t just solving—they’re creating. Curiosity fuels creativity because it opens space for imagination.
When you’re curious, you explore without worrying about failure. You take risks. You see connections that others miss.
A Stanford Engineering report found that teams encouraged to experiment freely produced 35% more patentable ideas than those restricted to proven methods.
It Builds Resilience
Curiosity makes engineers better at handling setbacks. If you see every failure as a mystery instead of a mistake, you don’t quit—you investigate.
Macheret once said, “When an experiment doesn’t work, that’s when it gets interesting. The universe is telling you something you didn’t know.”
That mindset turns obstacles into opportunities.
It Encourages Lifelong Learning
Engineering doesn’t stop changing. From new materials to AI-driven modeling, the tools evolve constantly. Curious people never stop learning.
Macheret has taught for years, and his advice to students is simple: “The most useful thing you can learn is how to keep learning.”
That’s what separates a career that ends with one project from a career that changes an industry.
How to Build Curiosity Into Engineering Work
1. Question Everything
The best engineers don’t just follow instructions—they challenge them. Ask why a process exists. Ask how something could be simpler. Ask what would happen if one step changed.
At Skunk Works, one of Macheret’s teams discovered a way to reduce energy waste in a plasma generator by questioning a design everyone thought was “final.” Their tweaks improved efficiency by over 10%—a big deal in aerospace terms.
The lesson: even a “finished” design isn’t sacred.
2. Encourage Small Experiments
Curiosity dies in meetings. It thrives in tinkering.
Set aside time for side projects or low-stakes tests. Many top engineering firms use “sandbox hours” where staff can explore unrelated ideas. According to a 2021 Deloitte survey, 62% of engineering managers said this practice directly led to new products or patents.
You can’t force curiosity, but you can create an environment where it’s welcome.
3. Celebrate Questions, Not Just Answers
In a classroom or a lab, most praise goes to results. But asking a great question can be just as important.
When you reward people for curiosity—not just correctness—you create a culture that values exploration over perfection.
Macheret once told a graduate student struggling with a plasma model, “Stop trying to prove the textbook right. Ask what it might have missed.” That one question opened up a new line of research in nonequilibrium plasmas.
4. Mix Disciplines
Curiosity grows at the edges of knowledge. When engineers work with people from different fields, new questions emerge.
Cross-disciplinary teams are 60% more likely to produce breakthrough innovations, according to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Macheret’s background spans physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering. That blend helped him see connections others missed.
Curiosity Isn’t a Personality Trait — It’s a Practice
Some people assume curiosity is something you’re born with. It’s not. It’s a habit. It’s built by staying open, asking questions, and paying attention when things don’t go as planned.
The good news is anyone can practice it. Curiosity isn’t about IQ or degrees. It’s about mindset.
Engineers who train their curiosity learn faster and innovate more. Companies that reward curiosity create better products and retain creative employees longer. A LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report showed that employees who describe their workplace as “curious” are 31% more productive and 45% more likely to stay long-term.
The Takeaway: Keep Asking
Curiosity may sound simple, but it’s one of the most powerful forces in engineering. It keeps ideas fresh, teams engaged, and industries evolving.
Sergey Macheret’s career proves it. From the plasma labs of Moscow to the cutting-edge projects of Skunk Works and Purdue, his story shows how one engineer’s curiosity can ripple across science, technology, and education.
He once said, “Curiosity is the only fuel that doesn’t run out. As long as you keep asking questions, you’ll keep moving forward.”
That’s not just a quote for scientists. It’s advice for anyone who wants to build something that lasts.