Doubt offends, the saying goes. In science, however, doubt does not offend but its very basis. Everything is susceptible to doubt and above all you have to be skeptical. But it is also true that skepticism has nothing to do with unfounded disqualification, nor with believe or no results (a verb that should not be conjugated in science) nor with a supposed freedom to give an opinion on anything without solid and proven arguments.
The border is narrow between skepticism and the daring of ignorance, and even between what is beyond, towards the extremes, which are dogmatism and denialism. The balance between them is fundamental in life and in the scientific world. When this balance is broken in favor of skepticism and doubt, not only in the field of scientific work, but in oneself, the so-called imposter syndrome arises, something that increasingly affects more researchers; and especially to women. That's why I want to talk about it today, as we approach the Day of Women and Girls in Sciencewhich is celebrated every February 11.
It's not that I know what artists feel, but from various movies and news, at some point in the creative process, the muses don't come, the mind blocks, doubts about whether you're good for this appear (for example, to write these articles). Although art seems far from the scientific process, in reality research requires high degrees of creativity and imagination: it is an art to devise experiments and tests, to prove that everything you can think of to explain the universe is a lie. Because proving that everything you can think of is a lie, and failing in the attempt, is the basis of science. Because science, basically, consists of building the best possible theories that explain reality with existing data and without evidence that destroys them.
If the scientist must be creative and imaginative, like a painter or a writer, it does not seem strange that at some point no happy idea comes, momentarily or forever. And then the snowball starts rolling and it can get much bigger, asking yourself if you are really good for this, if this is useful for something and if you have chosen the wrong profession.
In this dark alley that is imposter syndrome, several paths converge. Maybe I was lucky that time and got that job I didn't deserve. Or maybe I was too smart, or too smart; Or maybe it was unintentional, but the fact is that I deceived everyone, I manipulated their view of me. And we have come this far, now I don't see myself capable of any more. Perhaps it is that human knowledge, or people, have a limit; But my ceiling is very low, I'm no longer useful.
Impostor syndrome is very common in science. It has also been shown that it affects women more than men. Everyone has suffered from the problem at some point, even the most brilliant and famous astrophysicists. This is the case of Jocelyn Bell, who discovered radio pulsars, a discovery that earned a Nobel Prize… but that was not for her: incredible! This astrophysicist has spoken on several occasions about how being surrounded by brilliant people at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Cambridge, which also surely has people, let's say very abundant, led her to fall into imposter syndrome.
To overcome it, Bell tried to work harder than anyone else, always afraid of being expelled from the investigation, and with the goal of discovering something important. She actually managed, although she was not recognized, to discover something impressive like the remains of a missing massive star, which had previously been predicted by theories of stellar evolution. Furthermore, the discovery of her life came to him when she was beginning her research career. And if, even so, she suffered from impostor syndrome, imagine that the problem can affect 99.9% of scientists.
From 'imposters' to 'brothers-in-law'
How to overcome imposter syndrome? Experts tell us it's not easy. One of the ways to overcome it, rather than cure yourself, seems to be to go to the other end of the spectrum, and catch what is commonly known in our country as the disease of the in-lawism. It is impossible for me to be an impostor, if no one knows what I know. And not just about science, about anything. In science it is usually expressed in two simple statements. One of them is that “the scientific results that you are showing me, I obtained them 20 years ago, do not provide anything new.” The other option is that “what you have found is a lie, I know it, I don't believe it, come on.” Mission accomplished: overcame imposter syndrome without doubting yourself, but everything else, and making the colleague doubt himself. Unfortunately, this attitude is not foreign to science, and it also affects women more, but this time as recipients of the unfounded skepticism of their male colleagues.
Well, that's it for this edition of Cosmic Void on the existentialism of the scientist. We will return with better stories to help us overcome imposter syndrome and the disease of in-lawism. I hope that the article does not tarnish the celebration of these days, it only makes us think about something that is being discussed at a social level: mental health. Happy Women and Girls in Science Day!
Cosmic Void It is a section in which our knowledge about the universe is presented in a qualitative and quantitative way. It aims to explain the importance of understanding the cosmos not only from a scientific point of view but also from a philosophical, social and economic point of view. The name “cosmic vacuum” refers to the fact that the universe is and is, for the most part, empty, with less than one atom per cubic meter, despite the fact that in our environment, paradoxically, there are quintillions of atoms per meter cubic, which invites us to reflect on our existence and the presence of life in the universe. The section is made up Pablo G. Pérez Gonzálezresearcher at the Astrobiology Center, and Eva Villaverdirector of the Space and Society Office of the Spanish Space Agency, and Research Professor at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
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