I am sure we all should be now involved in promotion and arrangements for the ‘DEI’, Diversity Equity & Inclusion. In medicine, in research, in education. ISB is fully committed in providing opportunities to every student and young researcher, with international connections, funding, events and awards. We particularly support those in EDC. We are careful to get speakers and awardees balanced in terms of gender, geography, career, discipline, age. We have established recently a Code of Conduct for ISB members, where cooperation, inclusivity, integrity, responsibility, ethics, reputation, honesty, dignity, forthright, understanding, credibility, tolerance, professionality, support, respect are all explicitly reported as requirements to all members; in addition, conflicts and any misbehaviour are banned and disciplined.
But diversity may deserve a special consideration. I’m really enjoying these days reading Steven Johnson's book “Where Good Ideas Come From: The Seven Patterns of Innovation”, where key principles supposed to drive force of creativity are proposed and discussed. Starting from real life observations, about reef, city, and web, from our knowledge in biology, sociology, human evolution and in many other areas of science, the following seven conditions have been fundamental to favour progresses in science and technology, as he calls: the adjacent possible, liquid networks, the slow hunch, serendipity, error, exaptation, and platforms. Apparently, inspiration, originality, innovation, and even patents start and grow better in open space, where thoughts and ideas are shared and can be transmitted freely. In modern cities, the more were the connections the more were the patents registered. Good ideas need to get connected, melted, mixed up; frequently these recombine originally current or even past concepts. I’ve got amazed to learn how many fundamental techniques and devices have resulted from chats with colleagues from totally different disciplines (good for scientists to have a large spectrum of interests ... and of friends), how many inventions were devised when something else was searched, how many fundamental observations and results were achieved by erroneous experiments, how a connected 'hive mind' is smarter than the lone thinker, how a slow hunch can be much more valuable than a Eureka moment, how many brilliant ideas were fund in unexplored areas of science, how best thoughts can come from building on the ideas and inventions of others. Of course we all have our research programs and plans, but may be somehow, 'an unexpected event is the only hope' as the Italian poet Eugenio Montale wrote.
Thus also the search for answers to ‘re-search’ questions can certainly benefits from diversity. As I was told, diversity derives from the Latin root "diversus", meaning "various", but also, as a secondary sense, "difference, diversity" "turned different ways". We have now at the meeting in Fukuoka a wonderful chance to experience how diversity, both as various and different, can result in new topics, studies and collaborations, and how even the ISB society itself can benefit from this. Additionally, we are experiencing these weeks our elections, which is about to select various members who will drive our society over the next two years.
This is my last Blog. It has been truly a great honour to share with you all my thoughts and experiences. I wish Elizabeth Clarke (and the new Council) a stimulating and enriching experience as I definitely had; she will certainly achieve additional great progresses for ISB, and will take us to a more modern, international, passionate, and inspiring community able to address and to handle all of the challenges in front of us.
Hope to see you all in Japan!
Alberto Leardini
ISB President
