For the Love of Science
The world is more competitive than it has ever been. Workloads for everyone are becoming increasingly impossible. This global wave of over performance expectations is taking a toll on everyone, including kids whose school bags and homework weigh more than their tiny little bodies. While there has always been a score and report card for the students, this trend is now also creeping into the adult world. Adults, like children, are being scored almost on everything. For example, scientists are assessed scientifically by examining their citations, the H Index, and various other metrics. Anything below three digits for any of these is not done! So, publish more, get cited more and run as fast as your legs can carry you. Hitchhike, if possible, but never stop! This is what “the world” expects from you.
Such a frantic state leads to feelings of misery and an incessant sense of incompetency. In striving to be prolific communicators, scientists may feel pressured to compromise the quality of their work. Failed experiments can crush their spirit, and the inability to publish in reputed journals due to lack of funding can be deeply discouraging.
In the past when “the world” was not screaming instructions at you, people like Leonardo Da Vinci had the luxury of relishing science. He could be inspired by the flight of birds to envision flying machines. He couldn’t see that happening in his lifetime, but that never stopped him from dreaming. Archimedes’ Eureka moment came when he found an answer to a genuine problem, not when he published that in Nature. Mendel, a monk, never knew he would become the “Father of Genetics”. He just loved experimenting with plants in the garden of his Monastery. He did it all purely for the love of science.
Would it be too far-fetched to imagine a world where this is the reality? Where scientists are allowed to be as inquisitive and exploratory as they want. Where the wonders of the world keep them fascinated and they choose to seek answers without having to worry about article processing charges or that nasty reviewer 3. Picture the excitement in a team’s eyes when even the smallest experiments succeed, as their primary goal is to uncover knowledge and improve the world, however slightly. In this ideal world, failed experiments are equally valuable because they reveal what didn’t work and guide future attempts. Is it possible to conduct science solely for the joy of discovery?
There is no definitive answer to these questions. Global competition does sometimes push people out of their comfort zones into the performance zones. Despite barriers, this method has worked well so far in the world with breakthroughs happening almost every day. Science has taken people out of caves and placed them in mansions, science has made us fly. It is Science that made us go supersonic, witness the wonders of the galaxies and travel beyond our tiny little earth. It is science that is feeding billions, every single day. In addition, great research still is conducted sometimes without access to huge amounts of resources and money.
Life is complicated, and so is the scientific realm. There are no clear-cut solutions to anything. But we can dream. We can envision a world where curiosity thrives freely, where science flows naturally from inquisitive minds and open hearts. A world where the quiet, diligent work of discovery is celebrated, where collaboration triumphs over competition, and credit is given to all who try. A world where there are more Rosalind Franklins and Teslas. Where scientists and citizens unite in a passionate pursuit of discovery, uplifting all in the journey toward a better future. One can always hope for a dreamland where all knowledge is free and open. A world where there is no concept of “I,” only “us”!
Dr. Ambreen Hamadani, SKUAST Kashmir
