What kind of difference ??

"What kind of difference?" is the question asked by Peter Jordan in NATURE (2007,447, 882). When I first read the article, i felt some kind of resonance. I was also thinking about the same idea, and when I read the article, I felt some other guys out there are suffering from the same problem, and have probably reached the same conclusion. Here is what the article is about .....

He said he believes his job is to make a difference in this world, however he admits that although his scientific work can lead to a difference one day, "the absence of a human face can disconnect us from those who have to endure the diseases we study." ..... He asks himself "Is the abstract awareness that I’ve contributed to the sum total of human knowledge going to be enough? Or is there something about improving the lot of a fellow human being directly — through medicine, counselling or other activities of the ‘helping professions’ — that promises an unmatched level of satisfaction?"

This article stresses the fact that a change through ones own research is perhaps very abstract, and if ever rewarding (the reward is to feel that someone did benefit from this) seems hardly tangible. A solution to this problems is to carry out additional helping activity. It will certainly maintain a contact to human suffering and create a motivation to make a change.

Here's the idea .... and I hope it will ne translated into deeds soon.