Scientific Brainstorming
Run structured scientific ideation—especially SCAMPER and related frameworks—before committing to a hypothesis, method, or build plan.
Overview
scientific-brainstorming is a journey-wide agent skill that applies structured frameworks such as SCAMPER to scientific ideation—usable whenever a solo builder needs rigorous options before committing.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill scientific-brainstormingWhat is this skill?
- SCAMPER framework with seven lenses: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse
- Per-lens scientific application prompts (multi-omics merge, model substitution, cross-field adaptation)
- Reference doc for when standard brainstorming needs a named methodology or the scientist requests one
- Substitute/Combine/Adapt sections with concrete domain examples (enzymes, super-resolution, ML plus statistics)
- Designed to supplement agent brainstorming when ideation needs discipline-specific structure
- SCAMPER framework documents seven structured ideation lenses (Substitute through Reverse in the full acronym)
Adoption & trust: 722 installs on skills.sh; 27.8k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You are stuck repeating obvious hypotheses and need disciplined prompts to vary methods, models, and collaborations before you lock a direction.
Who is it for?
Solo scientists, indie bio/ML founders, or developers building research agents who want SCAMPER-style structure instead of unstructured chat brainstorming.
Skip if: Builders who already have an approved protocol and only need code execution with no open research questions.
When should I use this skill?
Standard brainstorming needs supplementation or the scientist requests a specific structured methodology for scientific ideation.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a structured set of scientifically grounded idea variants you can narrow into validation tasks or hand to a planning skill for an implementation spec.
- Structured idea list organized by SCAMPER (or requested) framework
- Scientific application notes per prompt category
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Useful at every journey phase - explore requirements and options before committing to a direction.
Where it fits
Map SCAMPER Substitute prompts to swap animal models for in-silico screens before picking a grant direction.
Combine genomics and metabolomics in brainstorm output to define a feasible MVP dataset for a landing-page promise.
Adapt evolutionary-algorithm metaphors into a backlog of agent tools before writing implementation plans.
Re-run Eliminate and Reverse lenses when production metrics show the current assay pipeline is the wrong bottleneck.
How it compares
Use for methodology-heavy scientific ideation instead of generic product brainstorming alone.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is scientific-brainstorming for?
Solo builders and small teams doing scientific or technical R&D who want the agent to follow explicit brainstorming frameworks, not free-form lists.
When should I use scientific-brainstorming?
In Idea research when exploring hypotheses; in Validate scope when reframing MVP experiments; in Build pm when adapting methods; and in Operate iterate when redesigning failing approaches.
Is scientific-brainstorming safe to install?
Check the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and your organization’s skill policy before installing from the catalog.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Scientific Brainstorming
# Advanced Brainstorming Methodologies This reference document provides detailed descriptions of structured brainstorming frameworks that can be applied to scientific ideation. Consult these when standard techniques need supplementation or when the scientist requests a specific methodology. ## SCAMPER Framework SCAMPER is an acronym for seven different ways to approach a problem or idea. Particularly useful for improving existing methods or adapting known techniques. ### Substitute - What elements can be replaced? (materials, methods, models, assumptions) - What other processes could achieve similar results? - What if you used a different organism/system/dataset? **Scientific applications:** - Substitute chemical catalysts with biological enzymes - Replace traditional microscopy with super-resolution techniques - Use computational models instead of animal models ### Combine - What ideas, methods, or technologies can be merged? - What collaborations would create synergy? - Can you combine data sources or techniques? **Scientific applications:** - Merge genomics with metabolomics for multi-omics analysis - Combine machine learning with traditional statistical methods - Integrate field observations with laboratory experiments ### Adapt - What can be borrowed from other fields? - How have others solved similar problems? - What analogous systems exist in nature or other disciplines? **Scientific applications:** - Adapt evolutionary algorithms to drug design - Use concepts from network theory to understand protein interactions - Apply ecological principles to microbiome research ### Modify (Magnify/Minify) - What can be amplified, exaggerated, or made more prominent? - What can be reduced, simplified, or made more subtle? - Change scale, frequency, or magnitude? **Scientific applications:** - Scale up from single cells to populations - Miniaturize assays for high-throughput screening - Increase temporal resolution of measurements - Simplify complex models to essential components ### Put to Another Use - What new applications could this serve? - Can this be used in a different context? - What unexpected applications might exist? **Scientific applications:** - Repurpose existing drugs for new diseases - Use industrial waste products as research materials - Apply failed experiments' insights to different questions ### Eliminate - What can be removed or simplified? - What's unnecessary? - What if you did less but better? **Scientific applications:** - Remove confounding variables - Eliminate expensive reagents or equipment requirements - Simplify experimental protocols - Remove assumptions to see what's truly necessary ### Reverse/Rearrange - What if you worked backwards? - Can you invert the process? - What if you changed the sequence? **Scientific applications:** - Work backwards from desired outcomes to methods - Reverse causality questions (what if the effect causes the cause?) - Rearrange experimental order - Invert the control and experimental groups conceptually ## Six Thinking Hats A method for exploring ideas from six distinct perspectives, ensuring comprehensive analysis. Have the scientist metaphorically "wear" different hats to shift thinking modes. ### White Hat (Facts and Information) - What data do we have? - What information is missing? - What facts are known? - What measurements exist? **Usage:** Start here to establish baseline knowledge ### Red Hat (Emotions and Intuition) - What's your gut feeling? - What excites or worries you? - What seems promising intuitively? - What emotional responses arise? **Usage:** Allow intuitive responses without justification ### Black Hat (Critical Judgment) - What could go wrong? - What are the weaknesses? - Why might this fail? - What are the risks? **Usage:** Identify potential problems constructively ### Yellow Hat (Optimistic View) - What's the best-case scenario? - What are the benefits? - Why might this work brilliantly? - What value could this create?