Without wishing to sound like an old, old fart … we are fast becoming a society of convenience.
Everything is about getting it now.
Speed trumps substance.
Debt trumps saving.
Ease trumps effort.
It’s all give me, give me, give me.
Hey, I’m not claiming to be different, I’m an only child after all.
That said, I was definitely brought up to believe in substance, standards and – believe it or not – effort … not just because it gave you valuable and usable knowledge and experience, but because it made the end achievement so much sweeter.
To be honest, there were many times I doubted that viewpoint – especially when I was at the beginning of what looked like a horrendous metaphorical journey – but when I got to the end, even if I hadn’t quite pulled off what I hoped to pull off, I had to look at my parents and nod in begrudging agreement.
However nowadays, the ability to choose the easy option is ever-present which is why a video I recently saw made me incredibly happy.
Professor Andre Lindei works at Stanford University.
For 30 years, he has been trying to prove ‘cosmic inflation’ – a concept he identified and coined – was true.
In very simplistic terms, cosmic inflation is similar to sound waves however Professor Lindei said that in the first billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second of the big bang, it was one of the key factors that caused the Universe to expand very quickly.
Anyway, for 30 years he has been trying to prove that belief and the video below shows his reaction when he is told that his students and colleagues have finally been able to prove it without a doubt.
I love it.
I absolutely adore it.
But there’s 3 things that I like most of all.
1. The way the assistant professor just launches into the news, as if he can’t contain his excitement … though it could also be that he’s a socially inept nerd.
2. The reaction of the Professor’s wife – also a professor – when she hears it. The way her face changes when she grasps the gravity of the news and gets confirmation is phenomenal. You can literally see the wave of happiness and thanks wash over her … probably because she thinks she can now look forward to having a semi-normal life with her husband.
3. The professor asking for clarification over and over again … as if he’s too frightened to believe his life’s work has been validated in case he’s misunderstood what’s been said and he has to prepare to keep fighting, exploring and discovering.
While most of us may not have such major quests in our life – quests that have huge implications on the future of science and mankind – if anything shows why we should be persistent and resilient in following our beliefs, it’s this.
Awesome.