We would briefly walk through a glasshouse crop or a field of fruit together. He was the experienced advisor for the Agricultural Advisory and Development Service, and I, the biology undergraduate enjoying a fantastic internship in the beautiful Kent countryside. Within minutes, he knew the problem and the remedy. He’d go off and chat with the grower and leave me to make all the necessary measurements for the formal report. And, of course, his hunch was always right.

Our evidenced-based world leaves little room for the likes of Les Wardlow, who knew more than a thing or two. But I hope that implicit knowledge and hunches can win back some terrain because measuring is not always the same as knowing.