House Of Academic Pot
Buddy Mia
Your best buddy in academia!
@BuddyMiaAP
buddymia@academicpot.com
SciPop Media
Where science meets imagination!
@SciPopMediaAP
scipopmedia@academicpot.com
University Forum India
India's higher education think tank!
@UniForumAP
universityforum@academicpot.com
Valorize
Bringing labs to the market!
@ValorizeAP
valorize@academicpot.com
Founder's Story
I have just one life goal.
To figure out how exactly the universe works.
I always wanted to become a scientist. During college, I visited a variety of research institutes across India and even did a couple of projects.
The path was clear. Go for a PhD and become a Professor.
But at the same time, a thought used to trouble me at the back of my mind - there are hundreds of premier institutes around the globe housing geniuses much much more capable than I ever can be. And people have been trying to answer the fundamental questions for thousands of years, yet, we are nowhere near the answer.
I thought that by following the footsteps of others, I'll end up just like them - a brick in this macrocosm of knowledge, hoping, some thousands of years later, someone will come closer to the answer.
I am not happy with that. I don't just want to plant the seed but reap the fruit as well.
I don't care who figures it out. I just want to know it all.
So I decided that I had to do something that others aren't doing because otherwise, we would have solved this mystery already.
I needed power and money, which a scientist can get only perhaps when they become the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government. I can't bet on my dreams till I reach my sixties.
I needed something faster, something now.
And that's when I decided to start up - hoping that I would gain a good amount of capital to build my own research institution for foundational sciences, and not just that, but develop an AI that would produce scientific research on its own.
Because after all, discoveries don't happen out of thin air. Truth exists even before we know about it. There is nothing "new". It's simply pattern matching and connecting the dots, at least as far as theoretical sciences are concerned.
It all made sense.
But the problem doesn't just lie with the brain not being able to click the ideas.
It's also human nature. You can call it ego, politics, corruption, greed, or whatever. And what I realised the biggest of all is "lack of communication". We simply don't talk to each other or share ideas with each other or be honest with each other openly and freely.
So I also had to resolve all these small small issues which together become a big roadblock towards the advancement of human civilization.
Of course, we are progressing but with the current speed, I won't be able to fulfil my dream within my lifetime. So I have to pace up the rate of progress of science.
I have to build a healthy research ecosystem capable of producing breakthrough research on a regular basis.
And theoretical sciences alone can't do wonders. Fundamental research and technology go hand-in-hand and build on top of each other. Without technology, we won't be able to probe deeper foundational questions.
And we need huge manpower. I need to inspire every student to pursue science and research.
It's not just about working with one segment of society, I have to engage from school students to vice-chancellors to governments.
Just one country can't do this alone. The whole world has to come together. I have to paint the society with a love and passion for science and research. It should be a celebration in every household.
That's my vision with Academic Pot.
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And I'll be honest, I am struggling. This is not a one-man job. I am struggling to find people who can join me in this mission. There are certainly those who share this vision and want to take action, but there are things beyond control. For instance, livelihood.
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People have to feed their families, survive, fulfil their ambitions in ways they find most practical, etc. I am not blaming them. I am not blaming anyone.
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I know it's a big and perhaps an unrealistic challenge I have put myself on. But I know one thing, it's the only thing I want to do in life. It's the only thing I can do. It's all that I have.
So, how can you contribute? By helping me find people who might enjoy this adventurous journey with me. Of course, you are welcome too!
Bandhan Goyal