As human beings, we receive sensory information through our physical bodies, but how this sensory system works is not fully understood.
We can observe our environment using all of our senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Our sensory organs help us gather information that is important for our survival and personal development. We assign value to this information, forming likes and dislikes, developing interests in specific details, and becoming more attentive.
Researchers have the freedom to explore questions that captivate them; however, they often face challenges in securing funding for their work. Most scientific research tends to focus on topics of public interest, while there is less funding available for more obscure subjects.
There is an increasing demand for solutions to short-term issues, such as improving weather forecasts for the near future. In contrast, it is challenging to obtain funding for expensive studies aimed at providing accurate forecasts over a span of 100 years. Although such long-term studies may be intriguing to individual scientists, they might not be prioritized by the broader scientific community. It is important to recognize that scientific predictions come with their limitations.
There is a great deal of interest in particle physics, and significant funding is allocated for experiments that may answer our existential questions. Although it is not typical to include metaphysical considerations, we don’t mind calling the Higgs boson “the God particle” to attract attention and financial support. Research in this field focuses on observing the smallest particles and their behavior over extremely brief timeframes, on the order of 10⁻¹⁵ seconds. While these timeframes may seem short from a human perspective, they are substantial compared to the Planck time. However, it is essential to recognize that establishing the reference points for such studies makes it inherently challenging to connect our observations to our everyday experiences of time, such as days and years.
Despite the impressive achievements, we must remain humble and refrain from making claims about uncovering underlying secrets.
It’s essential for us to work towards a deeper understanding of the physical world we inhabit, without doubting the intentions of scientists. However, we frequently operate based on numerous unknown assumptions when asserting our grasp of reality. Claiming success merely to secure funding can impede genuine progress and prove counterproductive.
The question we need to ask is: while we may celebrate success, are we making significant progress in uncovering underlying secrets?