Just Another Job

What does scientists do? We pose questions and devise systematic experiments to get to the bottom of the answers. Get in depth knowledge on ones chosen field of study. Be curious in general about everything going around you. Scientific research is passionate activity. It is all about passion for knowledge and excellence. An exploration to uncharted territories of knowledge and of course, an egoistic attempt to take pride on observing something that no other human has ever seen before. In the purest form it is a sincere quest for knowledge.

But to many people it is a livelihood too. Many a times you cannot simply pursue knowledge. In life sciences at least, you will be forced to find a ‘cure for disease’ to get funding. You will be forced to identify your on research niche and try to protect your territories. People tend to be less and less co-operative, not because they are inherently bad characters, but because of the feeling of insecurity. The most valuable commodity in science (or any other intellectual undertaking for that matter) is idea. The winner is the one who has ideas. Those who do not have idea and creativity will have to do mean jobs to get into a project and for survival. In this world ideas are precious too, something that has to be protected.

Many of my colleagues I spoke with, research is just a means of income, just another job. They do not know what they are pursuing (sometimes me too). Many people, who are leading very advanced research project, which are about to be published, are unable to describe the gist of their research or its relevance in a simple statement. Simplicity and clarity are two missing qualities in modern science. I understand the fact that biological systems are complex; hence the answers also will be complex. But the question should be clear and simple. I hope that from this confused state of mind calmness and clarity will emerge. The more I know the more aware I will became about what is to be known. The more I know the more I can share the thoughts and knowledge with the world. I hope that one day I will master the ‘Zen’ of science. The art of thinking clearly to distill out the pure knowledge.