the process

Ilan Kelman 

The Science

Science is a process and method, not a product. We try to structure it, without this always working. Start and end points are imposed on research--such as through a PhD, a project, or a paper--irrespective of the morass in the middle. Uncertainty in the scientific process emerges through the sequence of, interlinkages among, and ultimate outcomes (or lack thereof) from research actions. We think we understand structures and steps within scientific enquiry, but we legitimately flounder, attempt, repeat, and intuitively jump. Ultimately, the uncertainty is in how certain we can or should be regarding the scientific process.

The Poet

Ilan Kelman (Twitter/Instagram: @IlanKelman) is Professor of Disasters and Health at University College London, England and a Professor II at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway. His overall research interest is linking disasters and health, including the integration of climate change into disaster research and health research. That covers three main areas: (i) disaster diplomacy and health diplomacy ; (ii) island sustainability involving safe and healthy communities in isolated locations ; and (iii) risk education for health and disasters.

Next poem: trajectory by débora Ewing