"Carrying On One's Will"

Sometimes we lost important person in our lives. I also know people who passed away while they are young. One of the most shocking accidents for me was about a famous scientist whose name is Paul G. Silver.

His accident was tragedy. I cannot find any word about it. I noticed that he has already passed away because an adviser of my adviser wrote a letter of condolence. He was still early 60's when he was killed by the car accident with his daughter.

My current research is based on a method which was developed by Prof. Silver and his colleague. If he was alive, I would have chance to talk with him. The fact made me sad more. The tragedy deprived me of a lot of knowledge and chances with him.

As I wrote before, advancement of science is conducted by publications. If you publish in official scientific journals, that must remain forever. Someone will cite your paper even if you passed away. Scientists often use papers written by people who are not alive. That is the best part of science. The achievement of science remains comparatively for a long time.

Even greatest paper will not be cited in a day because it is accepted as common knowledge of human beings. Regardless of explicit citation, the important part of scientific achievements will remain forever. Science has, therefore, immortality. In my opinion, that is one of the important nature of human beings.

We cannot replace anything for their lives. I still believe that the scientific achievement may keep their will as concrete form. Unfortunately, what I am thinking is sentimentalism. However, I hope that was not only my sentimentalism. I just hope.

One Piece, Vol. 16

"Carry on his will"