Image Credit: Asian Scientist Magazine
The field of science is as great as it is today because there is so much that we just don’t know.
Not knowing can be frustrating at times because there is always something more that needs to be discovered or tweaked. As a society, we want answers and we want answers now. But, science just doesn’t allow us to have this immediate satisfaction.
This, however, is the ultimate motivator. Our world has so many untapped mysteries that it pushes scientists and researchers to continue to search for answers. We feel powerless and anxious at times because we know there is more out there. But, a true scientist will embrace the unknown. It is tough to admit that we don’t know something, but it pushes us to find an answer. That is why science will continue to be a wonderful, mysterious adventure.
We can appreciate the beauty of the world around us, but do we actually know what causes some of these beautiful sights? That’s what pushes us further. Just when we think we have the answer to something, we learn that there is more out there about it that we have to explore. It pushes us to test our intellectual limitations.
Unlike math, where there are definitive answers, science does not award people that luxury. Scientists become frustrated because they are searching for definitive answers but learn that it is open to interpretation and debate. This causes many people to turn away from science because they just can’t be bothered.
A true scientist understands that things are going to be ambiguous and loaded with uncertainty. That’s OK! That is what pushes men and women of science to continue their pursuit of answers, or, at least, coming as close to finding the answers as possible. Unlike having to take a test and circling the right answer, the art of science is the pursuit of running into mistakes that could eventually lead to the right answer.
