Motivations
Doing research
The word “ikigai” is a Japanese word formed from “iki”, meaning “life”, and “kai”, meaning “worthwhile”. The concept is interesting, especially since it can be visually represented as the intersection of what you love, what the world needs, what you can get paid to do, and what you are good at. I took the diagram and added my own items for each category (Figure 1).
At the moment, my ikigai clearly lies in scientific research. More specifically, in the field of applied mathematics for environmentally sustainable human activities and the protection of biodiversity. Let’s take a step-by-step look at how I came to this conclusion.
First, I love learning. I am curious about many things. I really like science, especially because it sheds light on the world around us, which feeds my curiosity. I am also very attached to creativity. Creativity keeps us alive and makes us smile. And finally, I love to travel. I love discovering other ways of living, other ways of thinking, other landscapes. All of this, of course, without flying. And research brings all these things together. So far, the things that make me curious are mathematics and understanding the natural world (living and non-living). This dimension of curiosity is not insignificant. Efforts are so much greater when there is interest.
Environmental research meets several criteria that the world needs. It allows us to better understand our current world, to warn of dangers, and to suggest solutions. It does so in a neutral way, because it is outside the spiral of short-term private profit.
You can get paid to do research.
It’s something I’ve been good at so far. I have a solid foundation in science, I’m getting better and better at using bibliographic research tools and codes, I know how to program, create visuals to aid understanding, take the initiative to set research directions, and communicate in English.
Research in mathematics applied to the environment is narrowing the field, but it remains to be seen which area of application in the environment will be chosen.
Working on environmental sciences
The best way to combat ecological anxiety is to take action. Take action so you don’t feel helpless. It’s not enough, but it provides some relief. The question remains as to which area of the environment is most useful to work on in order to help the most. The most dramatic aspect of the current environmental context is undoubtedly the loss of biodiversity. In Figure 2, I have illustrated the five main causes of biodiversity loss and their interactions, as far as I know. The color red represents possible human actions. I see therefore three areas where we can take action to slow down and stem the loss of biodiversity: pollution, destruction of natural habitats, and overexploitation of natural resources. Climate change is the result of the causes mentioned above, and invasive species seem very difficult to get rid of once they have become established.
Thus, at the moment, I see three important applications of mathematics to the environment. I will need to continue my reflection. In particular, I plan to read IPBES (2019).