An
exploration of the Google Books Ngram Viewer highlights a
disconcerting trend in the perceived priorities of contemporary
society. It raises concerns when the name of the Portuguese soccer
player "Cristiano Ronaldo," surpasses the recognition of
eminent figures such as "David Attenborough," "Alfred
Nobel," "Carl Gauss," "Leonhard Euler," and
"Erwin Schrödinger."
Even more disheartening is the
realization that Ronaldo's name takes precedence over luminaries like
"Edward Jenner," the pioneering figure behind the first
vaccine, and surpasses the stature of medical trailblazers such as
"Alexander Fleming," the discoverer of penicillin, and
"Jonas Salk," who developed the vaccine against the
poliovirus (The image depicted above captures the poignant reality of
four children grappling with polio-induced paralysis, confined within
the apparatus commonly referred to as the Iron Lung).
As a Portuguese sage articulated centuries ago (1608-1697), "We are what we do. What we don't do doesn't exist. Therefore, we only exist on the days we do it. On the days we don't do it, we just last" Applying this profound insight, even if Cristiano Ronaldo were to live a thousand years, amassing a staggering one million goals, he would still fall incomprehensibly short of the monumental legacies left by Jonas Salk, Edward Jenner, Alexander Fleming and many others...
Thankfully, the Google Books Ngram Viewer provides a glimmer of reassurance, revealing that the eminence of scientists such as Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Lavoisier, Robert Boyle, Gregor Mendel, Louis Pasteur, Niels Bohr, Max Planck, Alan Turing, Nikola Tesla, Carl Sagan, and Stephen Hawking prevails. Their towering contributions serve to overshadow Ronaldo's prominence, underscoring the enduring recognition of scientific brilliance in our contemporary ethos. Nevertheless, the precarious nature of societal attitudes is evident, with looming threats posed by anti-science campaigns and a burgeoning cult of ignorance. https://pacheco-torgal.blogspot.com/2020/11/phd-thesis-my-ignorance-is-just-as-good.html
In
a thought-provoking reflection from a few years ago, the renowned
David Attenborough drew a stark parallel between the human species
and a pandemic, asserting its potential for devastation far surpasses
any known virus. Attenborough's concern stems from the human capacity
to precipitate the extinction of countless species, numbering in the
hundreds of thousands. In an interview, he invoked the words of
epidemiologist Jonas Salk, as saying that insects are much more
necessary for this Planet and also that the extermination of the
human species would be the best thing that could happen to all other
species https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/23/3906520/planet-earth-narrator-david-attenborough-calls-humans-a-plague-on-the
So If the worth of the human species is deemed so diminished, then
the value of individuals who fail to contribute meaningfully becomes
even more negligible. This notion aligns with Ralph Waldo Emerson's
assertion that the purpose of life” is not to be happy. It is to be
useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some
difference".
