Directors of science

If one has a choice s/he should do what they really enjoy. Will sound like a no brainer, but the unfortunately this not the case with vast majority of people in this world. Most people do the job they do to live. Most people do not enjoy what they do. It is true that some of the jobs requires some creative thinking to make it appealing. Some of the happiest people I met happened to be artists who do what they like for a living. I just spoke to a septuagenarian violinist. I do not know her life background or history, but she seems to be very happy. Excited about teaching violin, playing music. I have also noted many actors, there private life (from paparazzi columns) seems to be a mess, but they are so excited when they discuss their work. I have seen some scientists too, who are excited about science, as an artist is excited about art (not necessarily "happy" in their expression). 

 

Someone who is committed to art and music are also entrepreneurs, in addition to being what they do professionally. Most of they have to find their gig to survive. They have to make their work appealing to the audience to earn a living. Most of them, at least when they start their independent career, do not have a steady stream of income. It is a struggle, toil and lots of tears. It is good that most of the artists (when I say artists, I mean everyone who do creative work for a living) are expressive. They express their feelings and emotions as kids do. Which is good to keep a steady mindset. Most scientists are not very good in "expression" department though. As an independent scientist, who has to earn money through work, I very well connect with an artist. Is there a born scientist? Any one can sing, but probably not all can make a living through singing. Others should like their singing if they want to pay them. 

 

I think science also is similar. Anyone can do science. In fact, in my opinion there is a scientist in every child. Who is a scientist? A scientist is composed of two parts, a student and an investigator. A student is an individual who is curios about everything in life and nature. In the purview of science, s/he is someone particularly curious about the mysteries of the nature. An investigator is someone who come up with a plan and design creative strategies to solve the mysteries. 

 

In US (and more and more in most part of the world) the beginning stage of an independent career (and pretty much the entire career), scientists are paid/rewarded for their products, which are discoveries (in the form of publication). One has to find and interesting problem that is not yet solved, can use the available tools to solve that problem. First as a scientist I have to find a problem that is of some interest to wider audience and than me and my grant mother. That is where one has to justify why a problem is interesting. What do we know about it so far? Pretty much every discoveries start of as an incremental science (by standing on the shoulders of the giants). What is not known about it? I have an idea to better understand what is not known. Is it going to solve global warming? Probably not, but it would be a good step. Then I design and propose some experiments that I think would help us better understand this problem. If someone give money I will go ahead and assemble a team and resources to do that project. Then I publish the findings from that project: this is what we found, what I proposed turned out to be the most idiotic thing in the world, but on the way we found a better way, that might solve the problem (help please) or what we said was mostly true (Yay... more money to did deeper). In a way, what I described is just similar to how a movies is conceived and produced. In many ways, the job of senior scientist is similar to the job of a movie director. Come up with a story, get money to make the movie, assemble a team, shoot, edit and release the movie.

 

Is a movie director and artist or a project manager? Interesting question. I do not know. May be someone should ask this to some great directors. That will also help me to better understand my role as a senior scientist.