Driving passions
WHO CAN EXPLAIN a consuming passion? It’s certainly beyond the bounds of science.
But scientists, it seems, are singularly susceptible to them.
That’s the impression that has stayed with me from some of the stories in this issue of the magazine.
Take marine scientist Brad Norman, profiled on page 54. He was all set to be a vet. Then 22 years ago he took a swim with a whale shark at Ningaloo Reef in West Australia. Ever since, his every waking hour has been devoted to them.
That’s just as well for the whale shark. Norman has been one of their chief protectors. Back in 1999, he sounded the international alarm about their vulnerable status, and last July, an assessment of the species he co-authored led the International Union for Conservation of Nature to update their status to “endangered”. His work helped secure their protected status in Australia, and his organisation, ECOCEAN, has written the manual for responsible ecotourism. He has also educated whale shark tour operators all over the world on how to be part of a citizen science corps that monitors whale sharks.
Norman’s story is poignant, not just because of the plight of the whale shark. He himself is “endangered”. Notwithstanding his dazzling accolades (a 2006 Rolex Award for enterprise and being named a 2010 National Geographic Ocean Hero), he has no university tenure or regular income. It would be unthinkable if his operation was allowed to dry up.
One of the ways Norman carries out research on the smell of an oily rag is through collaborations with like-minded souls, often encountered at the biennial Rolex Award dinners. I spoke with one such fellow, Rory Wilson, and was similarly struck by the force of this man’s driving passion — in this case, for penguins. Wilson invented what he describes as “Heath Robinson contraptions” to monitor their underwater activities. (Robinson is a cartoonist fond of wacky gadgets). Wilson has also built similar devices for Norman to track the underwater activities of whale sharks. “I decided there must be more to life than penguins”, Wilson told me, quickly adding, “there isn’t really”.
Then there’s Nerida Wilson, the subject of our Portrait on page 82. She was 16 when Cupid’s arrow struck while diving off Mornington Pier in Victoria. The object of her affection: a sea slug. In truth, nudibranchs, as they are properly called, are breathtaking – a perfect example of Darwin’s “endless forms most beautiful.” This marine biologist has dedicated her life to studying their evolution.
And finally, there’s Jurgen Otto, smitten by Australia’s peacock spider. He expresses his passion for them through photography. Take a look at his stunning portrait in “Snapshot” on page 68.
Scientific passions may be inexplicable. But without them we would probably have no scientists. What else would entice a person to devote his or her life to a career notorious for its perilous funding and uncertain career path?