I've asked, "what's your favorite part of math?" for the same reason. Something open-ended, but allowing the person being interviewed to be on their home turf. Seems more fair than only focusing on a topic I happen to know backwards and forwards, but that they, through happenstance, might not.
This can get at a part of creativity that's independent from questions about, say, the last project someone worked on.
One drawback with that phrasing, which is the one I've used, is that "favorite" can cause lockup, because choosing that one thing can be hard in real-time.
This can get at a part of creativity that's independent from questions about, say, the last project someone worked on.
One drawback with that phrasing, which is the one I've used, is that "favorite" can cause lockup, because choosing that one thing can be hard in real-time.