In view of the current pandemic, I imagined that there would be a surge of interest in the fields of microbiology and immunology.
And there was. To a certain extent.
Unfortunately, unlike about 15 years ago, biology and biotechnology are no longer ‘trendy’.
It’s most visible in the way the term STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is used by schools (in Singapore) today.
Today, it is almost always used to refer to AI, programming, and robotics.
And if this is what the students grow up with, they will continue to automatically associate STEM with these areas.
There is no doubt that these are important fields to advance in and educate the next generation in.
At the same time, I wonder why there is so much focus on them and so few resources dedicated to other areas of STEM - chemical sciences, biological sciences, etc.
And then, I heard a comment on a program on TV that mentioned that science, like all other fields, goes through trends. And this happens because the scientific landscape is heavily influenced by the mighty dollar.
Whatever makes money becomes what the scientific community is pushed towards.
This is why I have great respect for scientists who work in fields that are “non-money-making”.
Think scientists deep in the rainforests collecting and cataloguing beetles, or out for weeks at a time on research vessels peering at fuzzy screens for signs of elusive denizens of the deep, or maintaining and attempting to grow endangered plants.
They may be poking into the quantum mysteries of the universe, tinkering with substances to come up with better insulating material for jackets, even testing new ways of preparing bouncy, sustainable fishballs.
Some research seems mundane, others feel incomprehensible.
Whatever the case, I feel that science should really be less about money and more about exploration and testing.
Yes, by all means bolster efforts to advance in the "current" things, but give some coverage and attention to the other areas of science as well.
There are so many, you'll never run out of things to be awed by and fascinated with.
My Childhood Ambitions Didn't Play Out The Way I Thought
When I was a kid, at different points in time, I wanted to be a Cook (I didn't know the word Chef), a Librarian, and a Scientist (specifically, an Entomologist, one who studies insects).
Perhaps as a way of fulfilling at least one of them, I would stay in the kitchen to watch my mum cook. Though I didn't take notes or ask a lot of questions, I still remember and use a lot of the techniques she used.
Being a Librarian is still somewhat appealing to me, though I can't say I'm going to be great with putting books back on the shelves. I've always been a messy reader, with my books all over the place.
I almost never put them back in my book cabinets (yes, plural) until I'm sure I won't be reading them for a while, or forced to do so. I suspect I'll have trouble maintaining a neat library.
And, although I liked observing insects, especially praying mantises, I didn't want to touch them. I've recently learned that it's because I've always had sensory issues.
So, a career of studying something I cannot touch is a bit... Difficult.
Oh, the picture attached is of one individual of a couple of colonies of mantises I found in East Coast Park, where I go on Photo Hunts. I go back and check on them about once a week or so. This one is about 2 months old.
Today, I'm an Educator, Consultant, and Workshop Wrangler.
I would never have imagined as a kid that I'd be here. And yet, this has been my work for over 15 years.
Funny, isn't it, where life takes you?
