As some of you know, I recently visited the UAE. Here's a story I heard while there: In 2002 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was flying over the desert when he noticed that the dunes looked slightly different than expected in a certain area. Eventually, archaeologists investigated and discovered an Iron Age site called Saruq Al-Hadid filled with jewelry, pottery, and other artifacts from about 3000 years ago. Prior to 2002, there was no known record of this site.
This reminded me of something I heard at a physiology conference a few years ago, which is that experts with decades of radiology experience can view mammograms for 500 ms (about the time it takes to blink once) and identify abnormal images about 3 years before other signs of cancer become available (reference). They don't necessarily know what the issue is, but they can identify normal versus abnormal images in the blink of an eye. Similar studies have been done with experts interpreting other types of imaging.
This feeling that something is different or off is sometimes known as a "gist signal" and is thought to be a highly attuned sense that develops over many years. I love this reminder that work and experience are stored away, and that what starts out as a conscious effort to put together the pieces eventually winds up being second nature.
While we all start out with intuition, I think of the "gist signal" as something beyond intuition, built on many years of experience. You don't get it from reading books or talking about practicing, but rather from doing the work, carefully observing the results, and refining your skills in the field.
Take care,
Camille
p.s. Here's a photo of some of the gold artifacts found at the Saruq Al-Hadid site. The text reads "Working in Gold: These gold threads and off-cuts are the crucial clues that tell us that gold objects were actually being made on site, rather than imported from elsewhere. There have been some spectacular discoveries of gold at Saruq Al-Hadid that once again confirm the skill and versatility of its craftsmen."
