By Eksha Rani | The other day after the internal exam, I overheard a group of friends discussing among themselves about how good or bad their exam went. I observed that they were very happy and satisfied on concluding that they’ll score 50% marks in the test. The irony being, this group of friends belonged to that batch who secured admission to Delhi University with a whopping 96% and above but were now satisfied with a mere 50%. These are the very same students who came highly motivated to college with a bag full of expectations. They dropped their dreams since they couldn’t sketch out a plan to turn those dreams into reality. Students need to realize that at this level of education, it’s fair enough to dream big but at the same time keep a realistic plan to start working on that dream. This article talks about how to go about your dreams to do something for science.
Who are supposed to work in science?
Working in science is not restricted to the science students only. What matters is innovation and ANYBODY can innovate! An Arts student might have a better idea but how to execute it or the working of that idea is where a science student can work. Innovation is another synonym for science. And innovation is basically advancement of existing ideas. Anyone can suggest ideas to improvise on the present models but the feasibility or possibility of that idea is where a science student is required. Rest, no one can stop you from thinking out of the box, not even the subjects you’re studying.
Who can work for science?
ANYONE and EVERYONE. As is stated above, anybody can innovate and innovating is equivalent to working for science. It’s not just the scientists who can think ‘science’ but anyone who uses science in daily life can.
How to work in science?
OBSERVE and THINK. That’s all one has to do. Everything going around you, from the light entering your eyes to the light reaching us from hundreds of light years away, from the book in your hand to the mind that reads the book, from freezing of the ice-cream to its digestion in your tummy, from the floods in Kerala to the springs of Japan, from the ant crawling on the tree trunk to Voyager 1 outside this solar system- everything involves science. Everything you observe, even the smallest thing, like why do you need dark background to observe rain drops during the day but a light background to observe them during the night- involves science again. It has the ultimate power to explain every phenomenon occurring in this entire universe. And scientists are not the only ones accountable for these explanations. Anyone can observe, question, observe again, think and answer.
First, we need to explore the ideas that take birth in our imagination, make a list of what all areas we need to work on to execute those ideas and then start preparing ourselves in those areas. We have to make sure those areas become our strong points. All one has to do is closely observe what’s going on around us and think about why is it happening the way it is, could it happen in another way, if not then why, if yes then how?
This simple ‘observe and think’ approach is what has clicked great ideas in minds of the all the famous scientists.
Why to work in science?
It’s not mandatory, it’s not a compulsion. It’s a culture, a habit, a tradition, a medicine. Science is sustainability. If we think a little over this, the food you eat, the TV you watch, the phone you use, the paper you write on, the environment you save, the global warming you stop- it’s all because of science.
Science can be seen as a boon and a bane as well. If it can make your life easier, it can make it tougher by greater multiples. If you devise a new engine that runs more efficiently, then also design a way to curb emissions from those engines. However, inventions to minimize human efforts have already made life a lot easier for us but they have made it even more difficult for the generations to come. We innovate and work for ourselves, we make money and feed ourselves. But we need to realize that to feed ourselves we are destroying nature. For instance, the fatal floods of Kerela occurred due to fluctuations in global temperatures. For such causes not one country takes responsibility but we all know, it’s the population of people like us who contribute every single second to this abnormality of natural processes. Money is nothing if you’re dead. But science existed even before we discovered it.
And if not implemented properly and judiciously, it has the potential to cause more harm than good.
Why you need patience to work in science?
When you opt for a course in Science, it’s very obvious for you to imagine yourself as a scientist, researching the topic of your interest and aiming to create something new that can benefit humanity. It’s also very obvious to drop those imaginations and start dreaming about making money because you don’t see feasibility in the scientific profession. You might doubt if that profession can give you the satisfaction you desire, if it’ll be able to fulfill your financial expectations, if you’ll be happy doing science at an age of 45, etc. during the initial period of the college, what the students fail to realize is that their subject base is still not wide and strong enough to be able to execute and innovate their ideas. And this is what disappoints them. Yes, the level of the subject increases drastically but it’s still not drastic enough. There is still a need to mold, shape and sharpen themselves, i.e. there is a need to study a lot
more before starting entirely with a project. Pursuing your ideas in a hurry without the complete knowledge of all the aspects involved will only lead to disappointment and waste of time. Instead try to focus on generating more ideas.
Just remember one thing always, science runs on logic. There is no right or wrong explanation in science. There is only logic. If your logic is correct, your ideas are feasible. So the important part is, give yourself time to explore and make a stronger base for your subject. Whatever is taught in graduation is not useless. Every topic is required in every field.
For instance, if one is exploring about Mars- its cycle of rotations and revolutions will be calculated using math tools, the rovers sent to mars are made using physics, the composition of mars soil and elements found there involves chemistry, the study on possibility of life there involves biology and much more. No field of science is small or big. All are equivalent because in the end science is one. All it requires is your time, observation, exploration and dedication.
We are presently striving to achieve sustainable development which will not be possible
without inventions that can help save the environment, and ultimately us. On one hand if it requires economical stability and mutual agreement between nations, on the other hand we know it won’t be possible without advancement in science. The structure of the plan of action will be based on scientific scheduling and arrangement. Science is what will give to this world tools to save the nature and no one can be more motivated and determined than our generation for this because it’s us who’ll face the consequences.
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