The prize is in the journey and the discovery, not the award.

Dr. Feynman was awarded a Nobel Prize for his work on quantum electrodynamics. He was later interviewed by the BBC. When asked if the Nobel Prize was worth it, this is part of what he said:

Always being a man who didn't understand nor like the thought of epaulettes the Nobel Prize was appreciated but wasn't a meaningful way of showing how his work has helped science.

As appreciative as he was about receiving the prize, the pureness of Dr. Feynman's feelings on what is the real prize of science is something that needs to not only be accepted, but also celebrated. Yes, yes, the world doesn't run on hopes and dreams, it runs on being able to make money so that you can fund other things. But this is also why there is less and less basic science being done. This is why any basic science that is done needs to have at least the inkling of a way that can either become a product to sell later down the line or support the use of a product.

Science is supposed to be a way to understand the world around us. We need to get the information out there, other people to test it out and then all of the support, or lack thereof, will show what is true and what isn't. The truth will always come out in the raw data. The problem is that life is such a complicated thing. Based on genetics, yes, but also on the environment. There are too many variables to get a clear-cut understanding of what is and what isn't good for life. That's why there will always be things that don't quite fit the data.

That's also why there needs to be a lot more research done, regardless of whether there's an end product. The end product should be knowledge, not just something that can be sold.

This is why I appreciate Dr. Feynman's words here. The journey in getting this knowledge and the knowledge itself is the personal prize. The actual global prize is when other people are also able to support and build upon your work. That is what should be celebrated. Having other people come to the same conclusions, and being able to build upon those conclusions to build a stronger conclusion or make new ones. Yes, this is partly what the Nobel Prize is supposed to do, but the acknowledgment of how big of an impact something has isn't as strong as seeing bits and pieces of the work being used to help build other conclusions. That's where the acknowledgment should actually lie. Not just in an award that can be put on a CV.

Thank you for reading my little rant about the frustrations in research.

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Remember to take breaks for inspiration and step back from the books and your research to look at the awe and beauty of life sciences and their functions. See beauty everywhere!

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