In the field — and sometimes in the lab — the simplest tool is best

A basic toolkit can be useful for coming up with creative solutions to technological hurdles. Credit: skodonnell/Getty For David Thomas, a walk to the kitchen for coffee is a trip down memory lane. Standing amid the spoons, pans and pantry goods of his home, Thomas — an Arctic researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland — is reminded of days spent on the ice, swaddled in layers of clothing that keep him alive at temperatures as low as −40 °C. …