Twenty years ago the world was a completely different place. If you already had a computer connected to the internet at that time, you may have consulted our website to get your daily dose of scientific knowledge. Soon we will be twenty years old. It’s time to take stock. Did science move us forward? How do we view our old articles with today’s knowledge? And who actually determines what progress is?
Technology Editor Roel van der Heijden delves into our archives and searches for the scientific “breakthroughs” we’ve written about enthusiastically on this site in recent years.
NEMO Knowledge Link
NEMO Knowledge Link
In our topic “With Different Eyes” we look back and forth. Technology Editor Roel van der Heijden delves into our archives, looking for the scientific “breakthroughs” we’ve been writing about enthusiastically about in recent years. What happened from those breaches? Why do some inventions succeed and others fail?
Some discoveries will no doubt be the result of hard work and dedication, but serendipity also seems to play a major role in scientific progress. This is why in the coming months we will be writing about serendipity (research without research) and about serendipitous inventions, such as the microwave and penicillin.
We are now almost permanently connected to each other through digital platforms. Robots are swallowing our jobs and AI is writing streaming scripts in an instant. For some, things may move a little fast. In the past, at least it was possible to keep up with technological and social developments, sigh. But is that really so? We go back a hundred years in history and look at the almost permanent resistance to “progress”.
new Horizons
We can all imagine scientific advances in the natural sciences. New technology or discovery in the field of human DNA takes science a step forward. But what is progress in the humanities? Is the discovery of a new planet comparable to the discovery of a new argument for the limits of wealth?
Editor Liane Loudly explores what we can learn from never-before-heard voices and never-before-updated history.
NEMO Knowledge Link
NEMO Knowledge Link
Editor Lianne Tijhaar goes in search of answers and consults philosophers, sociologists, and historians. Sometimes we say we know more than ever. And of course, more and more information is available. But is “knowing more” the same as progress? Sometimes, new ideas turn out not to be very useful. The plastic was welcomed for not being damaged; Now we find microplastics in our organs.
Looking back, it’s tempting to think we’ve moved on, but we sometimes forget that our interpretation of the past is always colored by knowledge of the present. Do we also know what was lost? There was potential that we didn’t take advantage of. There are experiences for which words were not invented. What do we learn from never-before-heard voices and never-updated histories?
New visions aren’t always welcomed with open arms. It simply takes more effort to process information that isn’t up your alley. However, we believe that you will gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you by broadening your perspective and being open to new perspectives. New words like “non-binary” and “ADHD” can help, but those boxes can be limiting, too. So in the coming months we will also be writing about finding the right words for something and what they can mean. Because, as Nobel laureate Herta Müller wrote so beautifully: “There are different eyes in every language.”
When did you start looking at the world with different eyes? Share your experience below in the comment box. Who knows, you might see your experience reflected in one of our articles.
