Posted on by maxfomitchev

I have been thinking a lot about stagnation of science and corruption of the academia. I have many colleagues that whisper about rampant toxicity in the academia, ridicule and derision in peer review.

How did this happen? Aren’t scientists supposed to be objective super-humans? Yes, they are. But why they aren’t? Because we are humans. But mostly, because we fail to teach the values of being a true scientist.

Therefore what I propose here is an oath that an each and every scientist must take and perhaps even recite it every morning. Here it is and feel free to suggest your own items or revisions.

  1. The purpose of my work is to discover the truth, whatever it may be.
  2. I understand that every theory is a model, and every model is just an approximation.Therefore what I know now is likely to be proven wrong in the future.
  3. I shall report my findings truthfully and honestly.
  4. I shall maintain my work and my opinions independent of personal, political or corporate interests.
  5. I shall never stop questioning.
  6. I shall always remain critical of knowledge and understanding that I gain.
  7. I shall always remain critical of myself.
  8. I shall subdue my ego because science is not a pursuit of self-glorification.
  9. I acknowledge that all humans make mistakes, therefore I too shall make many. In fact if I do not make mistakes it means that I am not taking enough risks and not trying hard enough. There is no shame in making a mistake. Mistakes are a normal part of the process.
  10. I shall never laugh at someone else’s errors or ridicule someone else’s ideas.
  11. I shall always remain respectful of others even when I completely disagree with them.
  12. I shall welcome criticism of my results, my theories, and my ideas. Criticism is necessary for progress. The lack of criticism is a sign of complacency.
  13. I understand that disagreement is a normal and necessary state of affairs. The lack of disagreement is a sign of stagnation.
  14. I shall strive to make scientific communication accessible and understandable to everyone. Scientists and engineers from different fields must be able to understand and comprehend each other’s work.
  15. I understand that all scientists that have taken this oath are working together and therefore must help each other in the interest of the public good.