Be usefull or be well known? ...

Thursday, May 26, 2011. As a scientist I am active in research and I am taking part in many activities in the scientific community. That is fun, but it also makes me think intensively about our interaction, about the criteria we use to judge science and people.

What is important for science? …

Scientist tend to organize meetings, and there is an elaborate business of who is invited, who gives the plenary talks and who is important. Of course, scientific results are the basic currency on which our interaction is built. But science is difficult to judge - all judgement are also just opinions of scientists!

We want to be true scientists, but we are quite influenced by the way our society is dealing with things. That is only human. And society always wants some to be the best or to be more important. Of course, the gifts are different, some are quicker, have more ideas, or are more carefull in how they write and present their results. But all are needed, to move science forward.

Our image of some driving science is only partly right. Of course, those who take part in the breakthrough are needed. But a breakthrough is only one after many othes have tried to do it, after the efforts of many have not succeeded and then, at some point, things move forward! We all are needed in a breakthrough - just in different roles.

God's solution is better …

Jesus said once, who wants to be the greatest should be the servant of all. If we scientists could only listen to him and obey. It would be great if we could understand what he meant and realize that it also applies to science. Only when scientists serve the community, they are truely great! And as scientific community we need to serve the larger community.

God's solution to help each other is the better solution. Support is better than conflict. Love is better than ignorance. Science could be the great combined effort of mankind to understand this world. It could be a combined effort of many to learn, to understand, to do and succeed. Of course this has an element of competition for better solutions! Of course there should be elements of reward for those who succeed. But there needs to be a broad support as well, to let everyone live and serve.

Jesus talks about community - and that is not only relevant to churches, but to every human community on this planet, including our scientific one! ... more texts