31/07/2020

Imbuzeiro talks about 'real' scientists in Estadão.

When portrayed in films or cartoons, scientists are often depicted as characters who "solve any problem in an instant," without making mistakes. This scenario bears little resemblance to reality. In an article published on Fausto Macedo's Blog in the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo , as part of the #CientistaTrabalhando campaign, IMPA researcher Roberto Imbuzeiro portrays the real life he leads.

“Real-life science, done by people like me, isn't a 'flash'. Sometimes, it takes a lot of work to arrive at a new hunch or discover an unknown phenomenon. Furthermore, finding something new is only part of the process. Science is only complete when this new information is tested in the most rigorous, methodical, and precise way possible. This process must also leave a public record so that other people can draw their own conclusions.”

Between trials, errors, and the much-celebrated successes, Imbuzeiro emphasizes that real-world science is complicated, has its limitations, but even so, it manages to surpass any fictional narrative. Working as a scientist allows one to participate in truly heroic actions during historical moments, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The #CientistaTrabalhando campaign, promoted by the Serrapilheira Institute, was held during the month of July, inviting scientists to occupy prominent columns in the press. Luna Lomonaco replaced Folha de S. Paulo political columnist Bruno Boghossian to talk about mathematics, last Wednesday (29).

IMPA's deputy director, Claudio Landim, "occupied" the column of international politics journalist Guga Chacra in the newspaper O Globo. He invited physicist Marcia Barbosa , biologist Fábio Hepp , psychologist and PhD in Neuroscience and Behavior Paulo Boggio , and researcherClaudia Sagastizábal from the Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing (IMECC) and the Center for Mathematical Sciences Applied to Industry (CeMEAI) to join the campaign with articles on the Ciência & Matemática blog .

Marcelo Viana, the institute's director-general, dedicated two of his columns in Folha de S. Paulo to the initiative: "The Value of Science," published on July 8, and "Who Really Discovered America?" on July 29.

Check out the full article by Roberto Imbuzeiro published in Estadão:

Science is not a 'flash'.

This #WorkingScientist is also a father who sometimes indulges in watching the superhero series "The Flash" with his children. Coincidentally, the fastest man in the world has a team of scientists to support him. When there's a problem, one of them quickly has an idea, another complements it, and a third completes the second's sentence, in a kind of chain reaction. From there, defeating the villain of the moment is a piece of cake.

Real-life science, done by people like me, isn't a "flash." Sometimes, it takes a lot of work to arrive at a new hunch or discover an unknown phenomenon. Furthermore, finding something new is only part of the process. Science is only complete when this new finding is tested in the most rigorous, methodical, and precise way possible. This process must also leave a public record so that others can draw their own conclusions.

Real science is complicated, difficult, and has its limitations. Even so, it brings us many tangible benefits. On the other hand, it's much more exciting than the science in TV series. Being a scientist in the real world is like participating in a grand epic full of surprises, disappointments, plot twists, and some fabulous victories, more like "Lord of the Rings" than "The Flash."

Even so, it wouldn't be bad at all to count on Flash's friends during this COVID-19 pandemic. In the hero's universe, scientists solve any problem in an instant, without ever making a mistake. In our world, science is slow, sometimes confusing, and, by its very structure, never reaches a final word. This opens up a market niche for "pretend scientists" to impress the public with categorical statements about the pandemic.

Dealing with the illusions surrounding science is always a challenge. It's important to say that science communication and the image of scientists also seem to create false hopes. For example, people my age were exposed to the idea of "world domination through science" and saw many articles about "curing AIDS." Didn't that distort our expectations?

On the other hand, the usefulness of science in the current crisis is very clear. Thanks to warnings from scientists, Brazil and the world had already been preparing for new respiratory illnesses. Now, with the crisis underway, we see a huge international collective effort to find a cure in record time. Social distancing measures can also be scientifically evaluated and monitored.

Science is not a panacea for the world's ills. It is a beautiful collective story from which we draw tools to face things, including COVID-19. We need it to provide the best response to this and other crises, without having to rely on heroes or dangerous fantasies.