ShockwaveRider
Hi, the world is not perfect, and vanity, power, greed, and other things are unfortunately realities at all levels of society. Inside the academic physics community, it is the same as everywhere, there are good and bad persons, relevant thinkers and others. In fact, the problem is global.
Inside the academic physics community there is also a lot of competition, and thinkers are obliged to publish papers. There is also a problem in the best universities, many students come from the richest families and they are sponsored. There is also a minority from the middle class, very deserving as well.
So they study, yes, by memory, make the exams, have their licenses and masters, and after they have a mentor who helps them a lot to make their PhD. But they forget a lot in the future, because memory works like this; we forget a majority of things learned just for the exams. So in fact, passion is the secret, the passion to learn science and physics.
When a PhD from these universities is passionate, it gives persons like Penrose, Bob Coecke,Yvette Fuentes or others, and they deserve their status, they are humble furthermore we feel it , I respect a lot these persons. But like Feynman said, and I insist always on this,never confuse intelligence with education. You can have a PhD and still be an idiot. I believe it is passion that is the secret, along with the learning of fundamentals.
A general theory never comes from the sky; there is always deeper work behind it, and passionate people never stop learning and searching for answers. The world is as it is, and the academic physics community is like all other communities. Money, power, vanity, kindness, humility, love, greed, jealousy, competition, collaboration... all these parameters exist everywhere.
Furthermore, the structure of recognition in science often depends not only on the quality of ideas, but also on social networks, visibility, and institutional support. Many important thinkers throughout history were not initially accepted by the mainstream, simply because they did not belong to the right academic circle at the right moment. It is like this, the world is like this.
In this sense, passion is also linked to perseverance. A person who truly seeks understanding will continue to explore, question, and refine ideas even without immediate validation. That is where the true spirit of science lives at my humble opinion, in the individual who cannot stop thinking, who cannot stop asking why, who seeks coherence beyond appearances. These persons simply cannot stop their passion.
And when such persons meet each other, collaboration becomes creative, not competitive. Science advances most strongly when curiosity is shared rather than measured. Collaboration is a relevant parameter. The day the world collaborates more, it will be better. Not for profit or advantages, but for the common good, for global well-being, for humanity, for the Earth. Universal altruistic love is, for me, a truth, but unfortunately very few people are really like this.
Many speak about unity, solidarity, shared progress, but real collaboration requires sincerity, empathy, and a willingness to put the ego aside. It is not about appearing generous, but about truly understanding that we are all connected, all is linked in fact simply in the universe.
Science, philosophy, and spirituality all point toward the same conclusion, existence is relational. Life grows through interaction. Knowledge evolves through dialogue. Societies advance through cooperation.,
If education encouraged empathy as much as it encourages competition, if institutions valued curiosity more than prestige, and if individuals learned to listen before they judge, the world would transform rapidly. Collaboration is not just an ideal, it is a practical path to intelligence, peace, and progress. I created here the forum global collaboration but I ask me if the humans are ready or can. All we are too much occupied with our ego and life in trying to find our places.
The future will belong to those who understand that sharing is not losing, and that love is not weakness, but the highest form of strength. Universal altruistic love is rare today but it is a truth I am persuaded.
