Hi There!
Welcome to my blog, ‘The making of a Scientist’.
My name is Shailesh Date, and I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, working with Chris Stoeckert. I am a computational biologist and a bioinformaticist (and isn’t everybody a ‘systems biologist’ these days?), using mathematical and statistical tools to predict protein-protein interactions and generate genome-scale interactome maps. I use parasites as my model systems, and I am currently focusing on apicomplexans (an ancient group of parasitic organisms, with Plasmodium falciparum being the most famous member).
Now, what will I be blogging about, you ask?
Do you call yourself a scientist? Well, I do, and I want to know what makes me one. Sure, we all do science, we all do our experiments, but what is our role in society? We perceive that our work serves the ‘greater good’, but does the society think so? We are doing great in terms of our science, but overall, I think we are definitely falling short on contributions to the society. Many people I have talked to appear to be influenced more by what the media has to say about science, than what scientists have to say about their science. Guess what! Scientists are more preoccupied in publishing their next paper, than explaining the benefits of their work to lay people (and I don’t think explaining the ‘big picture’ benefits to NSF or NIH in your grant is the same).
These are the issues that I want to bring forth on this blog. We will talk about science policy, attitudes towards science in the society and the government, and the overall perception of what science really means to people.
All comments are welcome!!
Footnote:
My definitions-
Bioinformaticist: Bioinformatics scientist
Bioinformatician: Bioinformatics technician
Hi Shailesh,
I too am interested in science-in-society and public-communication-of-science issues…which is why I decided to purse a career in journalism instead of one in research.
What I (and others here at Nature) am interested in is what role blogging and other online technologies will play in science communications (ie allowing scientists to bypass the media and talk directly with the public). What do you think?
Hi Corie,
Good to be in the company of like-minded people.
I think the Internet, via its posts and blogs, provides a fantastic opportunity to interact with the masses. More and more people, especially younger people, are using the Internet for everything- from listening to the news to completing their homework. We have a receptive audience, but no one is talking to them! Traditional forms of media (radio, television, print) require you to be resource-rich, and are too restrictive anyways. In the Internet, we have something that we can really take advantage of, and we should (technology, after all, is what you make of it)!
Hello Shailesh!
I’m also interested in our role as scientists toward our society. Somehow I’ve noticed in college that you get more respect as your languaje gets more technical, and Ive always wanted that people know more about science, or at least make them interested in it. For me, it’s one of the main ways to grow as a country, invest in people and create knowledge so that we can all benefit from it.
So, I’ll definitely stop by this blog later on.
Hi Jorge,
Thanks for your comments and your interest. Its really great to be able to discuss science and education with like-minded people.
As you have probably noticed, I haven’t been posting to my blog. I am in the midst of winding up my postdoc, and looking for a job at the same time. I plan to return and start posting soon. Meanwhile, feel free to add to your comment; I am sure a number of readers will be interested.
Cheerio!
-Shailesh
Hi Shailesh,
I agree with you. Many people around me (I am not an exception either) work hard to get ‘grant money’ and/or paper, not really think about contribution/benefit. But, ‘money’ can’t be completely ignored in reality. This frequently makes me sad and loose confidence what I am doing.
Hope that I can read more about your thinking.
-Kihoon—EL Ray De Pollo Loco
Hi Kihoon,
Thanks for the comment.
I understand what you are trying to get at. We have to balance both aspects, and really, altruism does have its limits.
But I believe that the money we get is in effect for public service, and we should make an effort, if not individually, then at least collectively, to start contributing back to the society. How we can do this effectively, and what our priorities should be, can be settled by discussion and debate.
Cheers,
Shailesh