A key to good science is "recognising the beauty in simplicity", University of Newcastle Professor Pablo Moscato says.
Professor Moscato, who created a new field of computing called "memetic algorithms", spoke to the Newcastle Herald to mark National Science Week.
He said being a scientist was often about "using a critical mind".
"I'm always looking to do things differently and more efficiently with simpler solutions that work well."
He believes his approach to science comes from "being a non-conformist".
"You want to do things for the greater good," he said.
He actively looks outside the square to inform his thinking.
"Sometimes when you look at what people are doing in a different field, you may get the thought process that exists there and translate it to another place."
Professor Moscato said science brought him joy and freedom.
"Science is about the laws of nature - what governs the process that we see. It's the pleasure of finding things out and discovering how to do things," he said.
"That's a pleasure you will not be having working in a company where they tell you what to do from 9am to 5pm."
Hunter Innovation and Science Hub president Emeritus Professor Tim Roberts said science was "what we need to make the world work properly" - including a "sustainable society".
"The business people have the triple bottom line and a Venn diagram of society, economics and environment," he said.
"But if we are to go forward we need everybody to understand how a sustainable Earth would be.
"It would be like a fried egg on a plate. In the middle you've got the economy and around that the egg white would be society. That would be sitting on a plate of a sustainable environment."
Professor Roberts said the world was "running on science and technology".
"We don't need our best brains as lawyers and bankers, we need people running the place who understand science," he said.
Professor Roberts has been running events at Newcastle Museum during science week.
"I want as many people to know about science as possible," he said.
The Hunter Science Festival will be held at the museum on Sunday from 10am to 2pm.
"We had 400 people at the festival last year. We've got technology and interactive whiz-bang things that are saying there's a lot of fun and value in science," he said.
"Kids have been captivated this week and decided to be soccer players, but in their spare time they can be scientists."
