Wednesday, August 13. 2014
The world is reeling from the apparent suicide of Robin Williams. As someone who has suffered with debilitating depression, I could probably add quite a bit to the already expansive commentary. All I will say is that if you feel, on a regular basis, that your family and the world would be better off without you, that is your depression LYING to you. Even though you may think that it is, your perception is not reality. Please seek help right away. And if you are already under the care of a medical professional, please tell them that you need to try something else. There is hope. You can crawl out from the crushing weight of the pain and sadness.
Robin Williams is not the only "celebrity" suicide that has happened recently. Earlier this month, Yoshiki Sasai, a Japanese researcher involved with the STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) research hanged himself at his research lab, the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology.
You may remember the STAP breakthrough from earlier this year. Nature published two papers that claimed that pluripotent stem cells could be made simply by placing cells in an acid bath. The stem cell research world went crazy. There seemed to be endless stories about the Japanese scientists who pulled off this amazing feat. They were instant celebrities.
Then, it was found the papers had errors. Results could not be duplicated. The Los Angeles Times has more:
At first, scientists hailed the creation of the so-called stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency, or STAP, stem cells. But within days, serious questions arose about the researchers’ methods, leading to a RIKEN investigation that found several instances of scientific misconduct on that part of study leader Haruko Obokata, a rising scientist at RIKEN.
Both studies were retracted in July.
Sasai was Obokata’s supervisor and was supposed to oversee her writing, Japan Times reported. RIKEN faulted Sasai for failing to check the data used in the study and for providing weak oversight that allowed Obokata to submit a manuscript with manipulated images and other serious problems.
Sasai left suicide notes. The LA Times reports that the one addressed to Obokata reads, "Be sure to reproduce STAP cells."
This is so terribly sad. Such a great mind snuffed out.
I will add my two cents. Who knows went on in Sasai's mind, but this is exactly why I do not want my scientists to be rock stars. (Remember the GQ spread Rock Stars of Science?) Some science is considered sexy. Stem cell research is very, very sexy, getting lots of press, much of it undeserved. If there was not such a media storm and hero-making around STAP, maybe this would not have happened.
When fame and fortune come into play, we all are vulnerable. Making celebrities of scientists is a dangerous prospect because there is tremendous pressure to produce. Fraud will be more likely. As I said when the Rock Stars of Science came out:
Science, in the form of nameless scientists, is already considered infallible by many in our society. Adding fame and a rock star image to the mix, I find scary and tasteless. Scientists are people too. They are subject to the same pressures, desires and weaknesses as the rest of us. Do we really want scientists to be rock stars with "sex, drugs and rock and roll" as the mantra? I don't. I want them to be geeked-out and holed up in their labs doing whatever their grant money is for.
Eternal rest, grant unto Yoshiki Sasai, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
|