In today’s issue of Helsingin Sanomat – our largest newspaper – freelance science journalist Risto Isomäki had a column about Finland as a giant and a dwarf in marine research.
The gigantism referred to the long history of innovative maritime technology – mainly shipbuilding – Finland has been spearheading. The dwarfism referred to lack of impact and splendor in Finnish oceanographic and marine biology research.
Says Isomäki: Why study Baltic Sea which really is not any sea but an ephemeral depression created by glaciations? According to him, it is waste of time and resources to study Baltic Sea. It has been thoroughly studied, and no scientific breakthroughs have been made studying it.
He suggests that Finnish oceanographers and marine biologist should turn their heads towards polar areas and oceans. Put the parka on and speed out for glamorous expeditions.
Few questions are obvious. What is the screaming coming from the fourth floor all about? Is our government, EU, university – nowadays basically the whole Finnish political, industrial and academic cream – gone insane judging from the recent investments on Baltic Sea research? Or has someone totally misunderstood how progress in science is made?
Luckily, the BaltGene is different.
Read the HS piece by Isomäki from here.
