as many of you know, i am a Nuclear Scientist for an underground Scientific research corporation. i would like to share some writing about finding contentment with running and science. i discuss running about mid-way through the article, and it WELL worth the read. please take your time and enjoy.
I have found contentment with science. A fulfillment and contentment that most people do not realize, and may never personally achieve. I would like to believe that all people can find their own contentment with science; but, unfortunately, this is not the case because many people do not have an appreciation for scientific evidence and proof, in addition to an absence of appreciation and fascination for the natural world and universal realities.
Before I explain the source of my personal contentment with science and why it fulfills me, I must first expose the global misunderstanding of science. I have researched many different views of what Science is. One of the most common clauses I have noticed involves some wording of “explanation for natural phenomenon” and “an understanding of the physical world.” I strongly disagree with both of these wordings, firstly because a phenomenon is an UNNATURAL event that cannot be explained by Science. In the movie “Phenomenon” John Travolta is struck by lightning and develops special powers. In the movie Green Mile, John Coffee has special healing powers. In the movie “Sixth Sense” Haley Osment claims to see dead people. These occurrences are all Science Fiction, and things that cannot be explained by Science. Secondly, I disagree because Science is far more than just the physical world. There are endless scientific reactions that take place within the mental and chemical world. The most common misconception within Science Fiction is that it’s “not true”. Science Fiction is actually an oxy-moron, because everything within the realm of science is TRUE or can be POTENTIALLY TRUE. We as Scientists put NO limitations on what could be a possibility, until it has actually proven to be wrong. Science Fiction is intended to stretch our minds and visualize things that could potentially be true or encountered in the future. For example, we do not out rule alien life because we have no proof that it does not exist. It’s a possibility. It’s Science Fiction. Science Fiction should actually be renamed “Science Possibilities.”
The most complete definition of science that I can give, is, how things operate. Although I am unique and there are no other scientists identical to me, there is 1 thing that ALL scientists have in common. We ALL have an appreciation for evidential proof, and we ALL have an awareness of what’s REAL and what’s FAKE. What’s fiction and what’s non-fiction. What’s truth and what’s theorized. What’s been proven correct on an empirical scale, and what is just a belief. We as scientists have this appreciation and awareness because we are intelligent people, and prefer to accept the realities of the world instead of being subject to someone’s belief. It’s not necessarily the fact that we disagree with a belief, it’s the sole fact that we have scientific proof that we are right and they are wrong. I do NOT understand why people choose to follow old Creationalistic beliefs that have been proven to be a lie. Do they enjoy being part of a lie? Lying to themselves and to their children? Are they not smart enough to read a Science book? There is SO much power, and SO much contentment, when you have an appreciation for evidence and accept the laws of the world. Science ELIMINATES the necessity to follow other beliefs, because you have contentment with what has been proven within a numerical or biochemical scale. Science does NOT lie. Numbers and math do NOT lie.
I have been a track runner for several years. I have such an interest and appreciation for track because it is 100% scientific and mathematical proof that I’m better than someone else.
Track running, bicycling, and swimming are the ONLY real sports on the face of the earth, because your performance is not dictated by what someone else does. It’s all you. Every other sport that involves a team, is NOT real science, because your performance is dictated by what someone else does. Someone dropping the ball. Someone standing in your way of the basket. The list goes on and on and on. Anything that is you versus the clock, is a REAL sport. It truly shows how good you really are. It truly shows how much better you are than your opponent, and it truly shows how much you improve, all because of the scientific proof of numerical time, which is an empirical scale. When I ran my 4:27 for the mile, it would have been just as fast hath I ran it on the moon or Jupiter or any unknown planet. Time is empirical. 4 minutes and 27 seconds is EXACTLY 4 minutes and 27 seconds, no matter where it is ran in the universe. 1 tick is 1 tick. It is a TRUE scale. Time is the ONLY scale of measurement for human greatness. I hate it when people say “what place did you get” or “did you win.” These embassels just do not understand that winning a race is all justified by who else is in the field. I honestly have NEVER cared about winning a race or what place I come in. all I care about is me versus the clock. The only person I’m competing against is myself and the clock. It really doesn’t matter what you place you finish in a race. that’s NOT science. The only thing that matter is that you ran a faster time on the emipiral scale and bettered yourself. NOW THAT’S SCIENCE!!! Does your finishing place really define how fast you are? Absolutely not. Why in the hell would anyone EVER desire to be an Olympic champion? That does NOT show how good you personally are. All it shows it that you came ahead of your competitor on that specific day. REAL ADMIRATION lies within WORLD RECORDS. If you set the best time that a human has ever ran, isn’t that better than getting a 50 gold medals at the Olympics? In running, faster equals better, all because of the empirical scale of time. the currently world record holder for the mile did NOT even qualify for the Olympics. So this means some slow poke can get out there and run a time that’s 20 seconds slower than the world record holders, and then go around saying he’s the best in the world? Haha. You people have no respect or appreciation for science or mathematics. You don’t understand what real is. I don’t care if you win the f***ing Olympics, you still aren’t the fastest in the world, until you break the world record. I would rather have 1 world record, than 100 Olympic gold medals. A world record is REAL. A world record is SCIENTIFIC PROOF that my time on the clock says I’m the best. All the champion did was come in ahead of some other people. He did NOT run faster than me, therefore, he is NOT better than me. Anytime someone asks me “did you win” I always look them dead in the eyes and tell them to shut the hell up. I don’t care if I won or not. All I care about is how fast I ran. Their question should be “what was your time”? Now that, my friend, is a REAL scientific question that judges my performance.
the people that truly understand that running and sports is all about TIME and personal improvement, and run because they understand and appreciate the power of realness that mathematical systems of time gives them, are the same people who become Scientists. It’s all connected. We understand what’s real. We understand the meaning of an EMPIRICAL SCALE.
When you’re making dilutions in the laboratory, the numbers on the side of the pipette never change. They are an empirical scale. 15 ml is 15 ml, no matter where you go in the universe. I constantly feel like punching myself in the face and kicking my own ass because people do not recognize what an empirical scale is. They do not understand that it’s constant. They do not understand that it’s exact. These people will NOT become scientists.
Of course, the other TRUE element within track is distance. 1600 meters is EXACTLY 1600 meters, no matter where I run it. If I went to Jupiter or the moon, 1600 meters is STILL EXACTLY 1600 meters. As long as I’m on a measured surface such as a track, and I have a watch or clock running nearby, there are absolutely no outer factors that influence my performance. Everything is exact. Everything is precise. Cross country is a different story because it is not a flat surface and it is not precisely measured; therefore, how can anyone really compare their future time to their last time? It’s not the same conditions. Track is always the same. Always PERFECT. Always enables me to adequately judge how good I currently am, because I am performing on an empirical distance and using an empirical clock. So, if I run a 4:28, that tells me I’m not as good as I when I set my person record. 4:27 is faster than 4:28, no matter where you go in the universe. Time and numbers is REAL. Time and numbers is SCIENCE.
Language was created by the man. It was NOT created by the world. Therefore, it is NOT true knowledge. Some idiot sat down and wrote a bunch of opinions on how words and language “should” be spoken and written. Do you think anyone “created” gravity? Do you think anyone “created” any biochemical reaction within Aneuploidy? Absolutely not. Those laws are actual truths that were written by the world. Written by nature. There are the laws that we must all abide by, and there are the only real, actual, factual, knowledge that should be studied.
Let me break it down on an elementary level for you. If I have 2 marbles, and line them up with 2 more marbles, how many marbles do I have?? I have 4 marbles. Are you willing to argue that? Did some asshole sit down and “create” that concept? No. those are the laws of the world. The only REAL language is the numerical system of mathematics.
Now let me ask you this question. Can you show me a worldly, empirical, numerical equation that PROOVES that your way of writing or speaking is the correct way? Do you have any experimental scientific evidence that has been tested that proves you are right?? NO. English, writing and literature are a practical joke, and should NEVER be taught within a classroom; especially not as actual knowledge. Those classes should ONLY be offered as extra-curricular activity, just like basket weaving. Basket weaving has more evidence and empiricality than English and writing ever will.
Dr. Scribner could have retired years ago, but he continues to teach science because he loves being involved with science and giving people REAL facts about the world. He cares about my well being, and understands that Mother Earth is being destroyed by people who focus on English and literature, instead of learning actual scientific facts about the Earth and how to preserve/conserve it. Being a Scientist and being an American Indian, means that I have a special understanding and appreciation for what nature is. Nature is everything that was NOT created by the man. I, as a Scientist and an American Indian, realize and understand I am part of Nature. I am part of the earth. I am a citizen of this planet, and I am a life form just like trees, dogs, and bacteria. We are all life. We all “belong” to Earth. We are all citizens, therefore we must all realize that we are all subject to the laws of science, and the duty to prolong and improve our life on earth, no matter what kingdom or domain of life we are classified as. All forms of life must team up and work together in the effort to prolong and improve life, and solve the current problems and questions that remain among us. Because we realize and accept that we are all floating in the same boat of life, we must all gain an APPRECIATION for life and scientific knowledge. All that we, as living organisms can do, is accept and gain as much knowledge about our existence and our surroundings as long as we are alive. Science is all about acquiring an APPRECIATION for factual knowledge of our environment, and giving an EFFORT to preserve and improve it. Scientists must ACCEPT what they know. Take PRIDE in what they know. USE what they know. SHARE what we know with others, so they can SHARE what they know with us and we can all work together to make discoveries.
I was expelled from my previous college, due to the fact that an English teacher disagreed with my opinion on abortion after asking me to write a paper about it. I, as usual, gave medical reasoning for why it should or shouldn’t be performed, and obviously “overlooked” her moral godly issue that she was looking for. I’m sure you are aware that morals are nothing but opinions that can’t be proven by science. But, I’m sure you have no idea how HUNGRY my mind was for REAL FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE after being locked in an church school where there is nothing but biblical opinions being bombarded and brainwashed onto me each and every day as if its real factual knowledge. I came into Dr. Scribner’s class HUNGRY for real knowledge, he gives it to me, and I still have that same hunger each day.
An area of science that is completely overlooked, and a constant thorn in my side, is the American governments method of saying I have a “certified degree” of Indian blood. I’m sure that sure that Dr. Scribner is aware of this, but I’m also sure that he follows the law and is content with the current method due to the fact that he is on the “inside”. The federal government says that if you have a certain last name that’s on a tribal roll, you are entitled to membership within that tribe. When doing so, you issued a piece of paper saying you a certain blood degree of that tribe, and another piece of paper from the BIA that says your total degree of Indian blood. Although I’m not jealous of what anyone else receives or what they are entitled to, this really…….really…….makes me want to slam my head on the desk over…..and over……and over. First off, until science allows someone to go to a doctor, let them stab you with a needle, put your blood in a Scientific Machine, and have an actual phlebotomy result that shows you are “x” percentage of Indian blood, nobody has any REAL proof that they are an Indian. All they have is last names and birth certificates that connect them to someone on a roll. I have 1 friend who is a full blood African from Kenya, and another who is a full blood Chinese from China, and they BOTH have Indian cards because they found their last name on some roll. I also have a friend whose name is Frank Froglegs, who is a FULL BLOOD INDIAN, and he is NOT allowed to be a member of any tribe because his last name is not on the roll. I also have a friend whose name is Rhonda Rabbit Ears, who is a FULL BLOOD INDIAN, and she is not allowed to be a member of any Indian tribe, simply because her last name is not on the rolls. Some other notable people with Indian Cards are Shaquille O’Neill, Brad Pitt, Bill Clinton, and Venus and Serena Williams, all because they found their last name on a tribal roll. Obviously, being “legally” an Indian has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with having Indian blood. It’s all about having being lucky enough to have a certain last name. By all means, I’m discriminating against someone for what they have. I’m LAUGHING AT THEM for thinking they are “certified” or “officially” an Indian. If this is really all the government is able to provide us, is this “last name” system, then I personally want to devote my time and energy into inventing a scientific machine that does say my blood is Indian Blood. I’m glad Dr. Scribner is on the “inside”. Dr. Scribner has a great appreciation for what proof is, and a great appreciation and respect for the Natural World, but I wonder if he ever stopped and chuckled at the fact that the American Government bases someone’s entire life, ethnic identity, and financial benefits on having a certain last name and piece of paper. Was there any consideration or sympathy for the people like Frank Froglegs or Rhonda Rabbit Ears who are forced to spend their whole lives watching black people and Chinese people reap Indian benefits from them, and being forced to live their entire lives on the “outside” all because of a last name or failure to get enough birth certificates. With all due respect to Mr. Scribner, and all other people who are “legally” classified as Indians; I continue to inform you of the following concept. Until the day you go to a doctor, have them stab you with a needle, put your blood in a machine, and then have blood results, until that day happens, are you are is a person with a meaningless 3 inch piece of paper. Pride is not a piece of paper. Pride is not a dream catcher. Pride is not a Pendleton blanket. Pride exists within a person’s heart.
I’m very proud and lucky to have had Dr. Scribner as my professor. Being a Scientist, and being an Oklahoma Indian, is what’s called a left side “ball and chain” concept. If you’re a REAL Indian or a REAL Scientist, all your feelings and emotions are on the left side of your body, because that’s where the heart is. Being a REAL Indian or REAL Scientist is EVERLASTING PERMANENT LOVE. It’s PERMANENT. It’s FOREVER. My LOVE for being an Indian, AND my LOVE for being a Scientist will NEVER change, because it’s CHAINED to my heart. Until the day you kill me and rip put my heart, you’re not going to change me because I’m the REAL DEAL, and it’s PERMANENTLY CHAINED to my heart. I have TRUE LOVE for redskin people. I have TRUE LOVE for science. It’s PERMANENTLY CHAINED to my heart. Until the day you kill me, nobody will ever……..ever……..ever……….change me.
You (Dr. Scribner) have never tried to change me, and I love you and thank you for that. You are the best professor I have ever and will ever have, simply because you accept me for who I am and realize that learning is a life-long process. We both learn from each other. You have taught me so much, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I also gave you a fact or 2 along the way. It’s a two way street with us. Growing up, respect was always taught to me as saluting someone for no reason. It was “openly admitting” that someone else is on a higher level than me. I was FORCED to act like I was on a lower level than my “superiors” and show all this damn “respect” to authority. As you know, I take great pride in my knowledge with science, and refuse to ever openly admit that someone is superior to me unless they REALLY do have more knowledge than me. You see, Mr. Scribner, you are the only person in the world that I truly respect, because I actually realize how smart you are. I understand and accept that you know more than me, and I am proud to “look up” to you and admit that you are my superior. I truly…….truly……. admire you as a teacher and as a human being. You understand that everyone learns differently. You understand that all scientists need to start SOMEWHERE. You have done an unspeakable effort in realizing that I was new to laboratory methods, yet you slowly and efficiently paved the way for my future career as a Scientist. Words cannot possibly describe the quality of teacher you are, and words cannot possibly describe how much you have impacted me and my life. You have given me contentment with Science, and because of that, you have given me contentment with my life.
I am honored to be your student, and I would be honored if I were your son. You are the father figure that I have never had. If I could have a different father, I wish you were him.
-a former Letsrun poster
currently a Nuclear Scientist