Science

Several years ago, I was on a working trip to Copenhagen. Having walked around the city, tasted the lobster in Nyhavn and pretty wet in the rain, I went to the place from where my colleagues had to pick me up to drive to the airport. But my colleagues got late, and a company of well-drunken Danish students clung to me, who was standing alone on a wet night street. They attacked me with stupid questions, until they found out that I was a scientist. Then they asked: “Scientist … is it like Niels Bohr or something?” I replied that no, not like that, and generally there are probably no scientiscts like Niels Bohr at the moment. And I doubt they will appear later.

What is the moral of this story? First, I am just the ordinary proletarian of a brainwork. Yes, I have a set of knowledge and skills that most other people don’t have. The same situation is with plumbers, telephone operators and pediatricians. Secondly, yes, in the premodern times (especially during the first 30 years of the twentieth century) science was made by the real titans of thought, amazing at the height and speed of their intellectual flight. Especially Einstein. Now science works in a different way. From a Roman-style columned hall it has turned into a fast-food restaurant. Dinosaurs became extinct, and their niche was replaced by small gray rats. In sum, everything in a stict accord with the evolutionary theory.

Important note. My attitude to doing science is best characterized by the phrase attributed to Professor Artsimovich: “Science is the best way to satisfy personal curiosity at the public accounts.” This means that I am not a career scientist. I’m alien to the model of striving for public recognition in this area (I don’t want to be a head of a huge institute, the president of the Academy of Sciences, to wear furragere, etc). Therefore, here you will see no information about prizes, awards, titles, etc. I have some, but they are not to matter a bit. I suppose that a significant cohort of people (including colleagues of mine) will consider my position to be the loser’s one. Not going to convince them.

Another good quote came from the print on one of my t-shirts: “Science is fun!” Also well suited to describe my attitude to the profession. I consider interest to be the main intrinsic driver of a scientific activity. I have no idols among the scientists (and in general). However, I would refer to Einstein with regard to rationality, and Perelman – with regard to a ‘social pact’ issue.

So, that’s it with the preface. Time for a face. My scientific projects cover several topics:

• Fluorescent proteins photophysics and photochemistry

• FLIM probes and indicators development

• Study of insect chemoreception and its application to a mammalian neurobiology

• Research of the mammalian hearing molecular mechanisms and their application in neurobiliogy

UPD as of 2024: The latter direction is rather losing relevance, but new ones are emerging, and I will detail on them as soon as a more substantial progress appears