Why we explore, even when thereâs no payoff
đˇď¸ TĂ o lao
There are some questions that we need to ask simply because we donât know the answer to these questions. My work looks into ancient life by studying ancient enzymes and tracking their evolution over long periods of time. First and foremost, itâs completely curiosity driven discovery. I think itâs important to realize that science doesnât necessarily need to serve humanity tomorrow. Ultimately, it comes from a place of just wanting to know, and isnât that enough. Most I think biggest discoveries in science come from that place where you just simply want to know, how does this work? for the sake of knowing. Imagine youâre getting some tests at the doctorâs office. The results of your tests may be available to you as short as maybe two days, because we discovered a way to speed up a screening process in the lab.
How did we come up with that technology? Because we understood that we can use enzymes that can tolerate really high temperatures. That enzyme came from a microbe that is inside a really hot, inhospitable environment like in Yellowstone. So somebody asked the question, I want to know, what is inside this hot spring? They found thermophiles, and we realized that if we borrow from these organisms, we may be able to use it for our own greater good. Like, we are so obsessed with, what is in it for me? that we forget that maybe itâs ok if there is nothing in it for you right now. Maybe we can also just simply explore because thatâs what we do as human. Thatâs the very definition of being a human. Itâs one of the most beautiful things about ourselves. Humanity is patient. It took us a long time to build what we have around us as a civilization.
It took a really long time to invent the methods of science too. We found a systemic way to correct ourselves all the time. Itâs the best thing that we came up with as human civilization. And itâs so happens that it benefited us. It created longer, healthier lives for us. Even better. But it came from a very curious childlike place. Thatâs such an important essence for being as a scientist, that this is beautiful to me. One of us has to go to ask, I want to know if this crazy lake has anything interesting in it. We need to have that curiosity. But you may be the only person in the world that thinks this is interesting. This is beautiful to me. Itâs just about I wanted to know. Thatâs it, and that should be good enough.