This is a comment received from a brotha! haha. And I think everyone should read it as I did not mean to demonize medicine/engineering/science, but thru that one little post, I might have done just that. So consider this an effort to undo the unintended (minimal) demonization of science.
Here ya go:
I was browsing for my daily fix of tech stimuli and I came across news of these two very recent (really) breakthroughs in technology which somewhat reinforces my belief that investment in science and technology is essential. 3rd world or not.
http://www.physorg.com/news128786808.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7354458.stm
I just feel that sometimes there are bigger things out there than merely 'me and my needs'. It is important to strike that balance between meeting the expectations of the individual and the larger social that the individual belongs to.
That's why Google has managed to maintain a thriving and successful ecosystem. They respect their employees as individuals by providing an environment that nurtures their creativity with immeasurable rewards and perks; and in return, the employees give back to the community in one way or another, not just the hand that feeds them. It wouldn't work if Google treated their people like slaves and in the same way if the people expect completely free lunches, literally. Nothing is completely free.
On that note, I think we as members of the larger collective called 'homo sapiens' can't afford to be too self-centered and opt to do something merely because it demands less of us. If you can do better and you have the potential to do so (you would know, who else can decide?) then do it! There is absolutely nothing wrong going the science route. Scientists are and always have been the pillars of the civilization. They will never be overrated. I personally can't completely imagine what the world would be like without scientists. We'd probably be no different than our extinct Neanderthal counterparts (or are they? Another time :)...). It's only wrong when this option is forced onto someone who clearly hasn't the requisite aptitude for such endeavours. While SPM results aren't the be all and end all indicator for determining one's potential for success down the path of science, it is a reasonable indicator to go by nonetheless.
I honestly believe that it wouldn't be such an issue if scientists (back home especially), get the treatment that they deserve. I mean, they save lives and build the modern world we live in (to certain extents) for crying out loud. For people equating these jobs with 'glamour' and exclaiming nonconformist views about them being overrated need to grow up and look at the matter objectively. At the heart of science, the essence of it is all about advancing the collective as a whole. It's not about propelling the select few. Now I'm not saying it doesn't happen but just take a step back and try to appreciate it for what it truly is.
So when some people come out and say that we're forcing science down the throats of our younger generations, it paints a very inaccurate picture. I think responsible instigations are necessary to drive progress (responsible here means provocations that are meant to nurture). Sometimes, there are just greater things out there other than ourselves. Really. Science should never be demonized.
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8 comments:
1-science is to be understand not memorize
2-to improve something is science(contribution)
3-contribution is a contribution no matter how small(at least u need 4 to get phd hehehe)
4-specialist vs generalist...choose which ever u want...both have a role to play
5-most of us see the bigger picture after graduate from our degree...unless we mingle with older crowds
hey, engrish!
'I honestly believe that it wouldn't be such an issue if scientists (back home especially)'
what do you mean, back home? doko da anata?
point taken.
erm :
i agreed with ur 5th point.
takahara-suiko: Home is where the heart is :). Malaysia.
Hope you don't mind if I add another point of view to this discussion.
I think when it comes to defining what the 'bigger picture' is, different people will throw in differing definitions (what a mouthful of d's and f's there haha).
From what I can gather, some from the previous post, the general consensus of what the 'bigger picture' is "Engineering/medicine/science in general isn't all it's hyped up to be. The truth is you can make more money by doing something else these days and you'd be much happier". Please correct me if I got it wrong.
What I'm trying to say is that be objective in making decisions. Don't just make up your mind that science is overrated simply because your peers say so and your elders say otherwise. Science certainly isn't for everyone but don't discourage others in your peer group who are only starting out in their journey. Just because science isn't for you or your friend doesn't mean it's not for your other friend as well.
Perhaps this lack of understanding that there is more than one definition of the 'bigger picture' is further exacerbated by the fact that the scientific culture in Malaysia is not one that instils a sense of pride and motivation. I hear a lot of stories of engineers especially that don't get to do what they learned in school once they enter working life. Instead, they get to do the menial bitchwork so to speak and are barely scraping by with a meager salary. The moment they experience this, they immediately claim that they've had an epiphany of what the 'bigger picture' is.
If Malaysia rewards and supports the creativity that the younger generation of scientists have instead of stifling them, I think most of us will have a different opinion on science.
To those of you who are doing science, give it all you have. It's not easy. But "nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy" - Scrubs (gotta love it). After you've honestly given it your all and you still decide it's not for you, then God speed.
So, make informed decisions. Talk to real scientists that have passion in what they're doing. It'll even out the one-sided view most of us have regarding science. There are lots of start-ups out there that are doing revolutionary things too, especially on the web and most of them are willing to entertain you because they don't have the holier than thou attitude that bigger corporations have. Most of their staff are within our peer group because we are their main consumers, the internet generation. Get in touch with them and see what they have to say. They have blogs too.
Therefore, if we could be so gung-ho reading Malaysiakini etc. just before the elections recently to get the 'bigger picture' regarding Malaysian politics, I'm sure we can do the same for other things too.
Please allow me to share just one last thing:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
I hope this talk manages to inspire you just as much as it did me.
I just wish that I had heard this much earlier in my life. But take in the message: "It's never too late."
not at all mate, do add whatever you wanna add! You have brilliant points to tell and they're all worth listening to.
"don't discourage others in your peer group who are only starting out in their journey"
-that is very true, I wrote a post earlier, before that short 'jwpn kpd diri sendiri', pretty much describing my feelings toward my own current uneventful situation.
but i guess, it's not a very good thing to do, because in a way, my reflections were putting down engr/med/science down -making them appear uncool when the truth is, they're the exact opposite of uncool.
hence, the prompt deletion of that post. But I kept the intro and that became the short 'jwpn kpd diri sendiri' post. and to my surprise, the post that I thought would be a neutral and entirely harmless expression of my feelings, still carries in it albeit unwittingly, the ability to put down engr/med/science as uncool.
haih...ya know, i'll be deleting that post too. haha
and thanks for sharing that video. inspiring!
Err..
still tak rasa entri Jawapan itu merendah-rendahkan bidang sains.
Maka malas nak baca entri ini.
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