To our Entitled Youth

I visit a ton of labs, and it is becoming increasingly clear to me that the subsets of entitled researchers are growing. Our generation (and I use “Our” lightly) has become accustomed to getting a lot for a little. It is very easy to bypass the dues of time, at this point in the Communication Revolution, with global resources just a few finger-tip clicks away. It is our duty to still intimately know and understand the how’s and why’s the generations before us have worked so hard to provide. We often forget that we owe them for everything.

It is our ability to communicate to one another that has allowed the exponential improvements to every aspect of live and science we are witnessing. I dare not suggest that every researcher re-invent the wheel. However, I do believe we should fully understand our place in the evolution of ideas and things, in order to progress the world through science conducted with continuity and class.

As industry provides us with toys that continue to make our science easier, it is our duty to understand those toys. One flawed paper, un-caught by the reviewers, referenced by many, provides more steps backwards than we should be willing to accept. I see far too many corners cut, with nothing more than a selfish persona to blame, resulting in a flawed publication and tainted Karma. These same researchers are “Studying” diseases that will likely kill my parents (the ones left), my wife, me, and my children. Entitled may be too soft a word for it.

Seek integrity within yourself, science, and technology, and we all win. There really is a choice between driving and riding within every aspect of life. The riders wear their sense of entitlement like a badge, with expectations of ease, and proud for all the wrong reasons. Drivers design resources (like this), give lectures, find the flaws, use controls, and actively understand the magical realities we exist within. Be a driver and inherit the wealth of our predecessors, within the comfort of honesty, and then enjoy untainted bliss within your accountability.

-Chris Murphy