Judith Benham

Role: Former chemist at 3M, first woman hired as chemist there (according to Jerry Michalski)

Contributions to the Discussion

Judith brought scientific rigor and personal experience to the conversation about curiosity.

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Curiosity

Judith introduced an important distinction:

"Curiosity, per se, is complex. Intrinsic vs extrinsic…situation, knowledge, experiences,. Perhaps worth addl in depth discussion."

This framework suggests that curiosity arises from both:

Intrinsic sources - internal drives and interests
Extrinsic sources - external situations, stimuli, and contexts

Mother's Teaching Method

Judith shared a powerful personal story about how her mother cultivated curiosity:

"As a child, whenever I asked a question, my mom would reply 'what do you think?', which led to expansive discussion."

This approach:

Reflects the question back to the child
Values the child's thinking
Creates space for expansive discussion rather than simple answers
Builds metacognitive skills

Victoria (Spain) responded: "My son hated that approach at first 😂"

Stacey Druss shared: "My dad did the same for me."

Gil Friend added: "Mine too"

This suggests a powerful parenting practice for cultivating curiosity, even if children initially resist it.

Active Participation

Kevin Jones noted: "@Judith Benham seeing your thumb a lot" - indicating Judith actively engaged with reactions throughout the call.

Breaking Barriers

As the first woman hired as a chemist at 3M, Judith represents someone whose curiosity and capability broke through significant institutional barriers, adding weight to her insights on what fosters curiosity.

Themes Judith Explored

Related Participants

Jerry Michalski - Highlighted Judith's pioneering role at 3M
Victoria (Spain) - Shared son's initial resistance to reflective questioning
Stacey Druss - Shared similar parenting experience
Gil Friend - Shared similar parenting experience
Kevin Jones - Noticed her active participation

Site Navigation