Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "scientific-research"

It is the consensus of the general population that Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system. However, in reality, it is far more beautiful than just that. Saying Neuroscience is the field of studying the nervous system, is like saying the Hulk is a man who opens a tin can with his bare hands.

Neuroscience is the science that reveals every single element of the existential nature of human mind, or simply mind, in a broader aspect. And one who understands the mind becomes a better version of himself or herself. Neuroscience - the science of mind, reveals to us, who we are - what we are - why we are. It gives answers to questions that have haunted humanity since the days in the wildness. We neuroscientists discover the truths that take the human self closer to absolution.

To quote from my book "Love, God & Neurons: Memoir of a scientist who found himself by getting lost"

"We gain from the new science of mind not only insights into ourselves - how we perceive, learn, remember, feel, believe and act - but also a new perspective of ourselves and our fellow human beings in the context of biological evolution.”

The most intriguingly unique feature of Neuroscience, is that here the mind attempts to study itself. Hence, Neural Science is the endeavor of the mind to understand itself.
However, like all other fields of scientific endeavor, it cannot work alone. To fully manifest its true potential, Neuroscience often joins hands with other sciences, especially other biological sciences such as evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genetics etc. Through this beautiful collaboration, we get a more complete and solid understanding of the mind. That is why for a scientist in any field, it is imperative to know by heart, that he or she cannot proceed a single step in the path of scientific research with the arrogant idea in the head that his or her own field is the greatest of all sciences.

To become a scientist, you must learn to be humble in front of other fields of science while defending the dignity of your own. A Physicist's insight of the universe would be much grander than a biologist, and at the same time, a biologist's insight of life would much grander than a physicist. No scientist in one field is greater than another scientist in another field. Each field of science offers us a unique and deeper perspective on a certain phenomenon of life and universe. Each field of science completes the other.

However, the harsh reality of today's society is that the Physicists get most of the attention from the general population. And behind this attention, or rather attraction, lies a deeper evolutionary reason. Modern Physics has a certain air of mystery and sophistication around it, which stimulates people's primeval affinity towards ignorance-driven mysticism. Which means, the less people understand a certain phenomenon, the more they are attracted to it. And that is why almost everybody on planet earth knows about Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, but very few people in the non-scholar population have heard of Leonhard Euler, Joseph Breuer and Gottfried Leibneiz.

Science is the human endeavor to elevate the self and the society from the darkness of ignorance into the light of wisdom. Sophistication is not science people, simplicity is. Science does not complicate things, rather it eases the predominant complications of the society. Science demystifies the mysticism that holds on to the psyche of the human society like a virus. Science is the most effective, efficient and magnificent path that leads towards the salvation of humankind.


Further Reading

Neurosutra: The Abhijit Naskar Collection
What is Mind?
Love, God & Neurons: Memoir of a scientist who found himself by getting lost

People often assume that science is only about empirical research - that it's merely about facts and figures, which happens to be nowhere near the truth. Facts are the fundamental building blocks of science, but bringing those facts together to have an insight of a certain phenomenon requires a rational, conscientious and creative mind. It's only through rigorous analysis and observation, as well as, creative contemplation, of the empirical evidence, i.e. facts, discovered through decades of research, that we can understand a certain phenomenon. Science cannot exist without empirical evidence, but evidence alone can't take science ahead and upwards, for that, we need some rather naïve and conscientious minds who can pierce through the evidence in order to have a practical insight of the big picture of a certain phenomenon. In short, there's more to science than facts and figures. Think of facts and figures as bricks and cement, and science or scientific understanding as a building. Without the vision of the architect, it's impossible to construct the building no matter how much bricks and cement you have.

Science is but a bridge of time, it can,
Either take us forward or dump us in prehistory.
Science alone does not ensure our advancement,
Unless it's practiced with warmth and accountability.
Sheer reason without any sentiment is,
As dangerous as sheer sentiment without any reason.
In order to forge a world fit for humans,
We must break the ice between reason and emotion.
Problem is that we like picking sides,
Either we are too emotional or too rational.
A civilized human ought to be none of that,
A civilized human acts upon the need of the situation.
So I say o mighty human, be not an intellectual moron.
Science is a means of service, not intellectual gratification.

One AA battery lights up a house with an LED,
Or it can be used to set fire to it with a spark.
Energy has no ethical polarity, only potential,
Ethics of energy lie in the hands of its wielder.
Society just needs an excuse to escape the blame,
Sometimes they blame science, other times politics.
The real problem is none but the society itself,
Particularly our age-old selfish histrionics.
No society is born human, not yet anyway,
It falls on the original humans to make it human.
Choose science, faith, politics or civil service,
Touch of a human makes medicine even out of poison.
Science doesn't define the scientist, scientist defines the science.
Hence I'm a servant scientist who uses science for deliverance.

True genius is the one of the heart, not of intellect. Because intellect-less heart, though exploited a lot, still does good, whereas heartless intellect, with or without the awareness of it, ends up only exploiting others.

But here’s the thing, even true genius of intellect is not without its fair sense of responsibility towards the society. It’s only the genius of halfbaked intellect that has absolutely no sense of service towards society – the only sense they have towards society, is that of domination or control.

That is why one of the guardians of nuclear physics, Albert Einstein though initially encouraged the US government in a letter, to develop a nuclear weapon of our own against the Nazi nuclear program, ended up being an outspoken activist of nuclear-disarmament, and called his letter to Roosevelt “one great mistake of life”.

That is why the mother of radioactivity, Marie Curie never made a dime out of her discovery of radium, because to her, even amidst obscurity, science was service, unlike most so-called scientists of the modern world.

That is why the man who literally electrified the world with his invention of alternating current, Nikola Tesla embraced happily other people stealing his inventions, and died a poor man in his apartment.

You see, it’s easy to make billions out of other people’s pioneering work, the sign of true genius is an uncorrupted sense of service.

Surpass the nonsense of vibration,
Surpass the nonsense of frequency.
Come down to the land of mortals,
Embrace the heart’s simple beauty.
Science is science, sentiment is sentiment,
In rationalizing sentiment one breeds superstition.
There is no vibration to love and community,
There is no frequency to uplift and unification.
Cleanse your mind of all imitation science,
Just like you ought to do with bigoted holiness.
Trading in one blindness for another is no sanctity,
Replacing one superstition with another is no science.
With the rise of oneness, theories wither and fade away.
But if things are opposite, know that you are going astray.

Doing God’s work and doing God’s propaganda are two different things. And the world has enough propaganda as it is – what the world needs is God’s work – what this world needs is service – service not to the idea of God, but to the helpless and destitute – service to those who have nowhere to turn to. This, my friend, is called practical divinity.

“My First Love (The Sonnet)

My first love was not science,
My first love was theology.
Then what got me hooked on science,
Was the spark of electronic circuitry.

Eventually through happy and sad accidents,
Everything fell into its proper place.
Science, theology, and much more
got mixed up, and I ended up pioneering
the empire of humanitarian science.

I am a better scientist because of theology,
I am a better theologian because of science.
Hand in hand they found fulfillment,
When with poetry I built a heartfelt alliance.

I have no gift, it’s just that, expansion is my lifeblood.
In a world run by narrowness, the smallest act
of expansion seems like an act of God.”

If a scientist has no humility,
what’s the difference between
a scientist and a computer!
If a doctor has no warmth,
what’s the difference between
a doctor and a butcher!

If a teacher has no curiosity,
what’s the difference between
a teacher and a circus trainer!
If a filmmaker has no originality,
what’s the difference between
a filmmaker and a photocopier!

If a cop cannot practice self-correction,
what’s the difference between
a cop and an executioner!
If a theologian has no integrative spirit,
what’s the difference between
a theologian and a mumbling parrot!

If a modern human cannot balance reason and warmth,
what’s the difference between a sentient human
and a creature from the swamp!

“I don’t make baseless claims like – I’ll remove all your fears, I’ll remove all your anxieties, I’ll remove all your insecurities. I am a scientist, not an influencer – which means, I am dutybound to adhere to the truth, no matter how inconvenient they are, instead of peddling comforting lies for exposure. And the truth is, if bombarding people with some fancy facts about the mind removed their worries, every household with a DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) would be the happiest place on earth.”

“Only you can remove your anxiety,
Only you can bring you clarity.
What the hell are you doing at the feet of fraudsters!
Go out and discover your own reality.”

Science is neither boastful nor bashful,
Science stands dutybound, forever mindful.
Science gives the final answer as a ray of hope,
With all avenues exhausted to the last granule.

Science is neither defensive nor offensive,
Science can’t afford such primitive prerogative.
Transcending binary norms science acts whole,
Defying the comfort of all corrosive narrative.

Science is slave to none, science enslaves none,
Science blooms from reason, endorsing curiosity.
But don’t ever confuse curiosity with cynicism,
Curiosity brings understanding, cynicism apathy.

Average scientists seek answers,
Great scientist seeks questions.
Submissive scientists chase solutions,
I’m a Rowdy Scientist, give me problems!