The recent International Science Culture Construction Day was more than a conference; it was a profound immersion into a new paradigm of scientific thought. For one of our young members, the most illuminating lesson did not occur during a formal presentation, but afterward, in the humble act of helping to cook empanadas for the community.
This moment was a practical embodiment of a powerful idea shared by one of our advisors and French scientist Sylvain Eimer: “If you are not a good cook, you cannot be a good scientist.” At first glance, it seems a simple analogy. But in the context of the Andean Road’s mission, its depth became clear.
Cooking, like science, is an alchemy of precision and creativity. It requires careful observation, a willingness to experiment, and patience to see a process through to its conclusion. Most importantly, it is a fundamentally communal act. A meal is not meant to be hoarded but shared, nourishing the body and strengthening the bonds of community.
This is the essence of the Science Culture Construction we advocate for. It moves science from an isolated tower of knowledge into the shared kitchen of humanity. It argues that true science is not done for people, but with them, blending diverse ingredients, ancestral wisdom with cutting-edge research, local challenges with global collaboration, to create solutions that sustain us all.
By inviting our youth to this table, both literally and figuratively, the Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology inspires them to see themselves not as passive recipients of knowledge, but as active contributors. They are the next generation of chefs in this great kitchen of discovery, learning that the most profound science is that which is shared, tangible, and ultimately, nourishing for the world.
Editor: Landing, Sunny, Carl, Rodrigo
