Opinion | In age of uber science, we should not forget importance of human touch
3 min read . Updated: 10 Aug 2020, 06:35 PM IST- Science and technology are a complement to human instinct and intuition, not an alternative
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In my lifetime, at least, science has never been more ‘in vogue’. Virologists, scientists and researchers are today’s heroes, whose working vocabulary of big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality offer the lay-person assurance of accuracy, certainty and progress.
Quite rightly. The emergence and propagation of covid-19 has shone a – perhaps, overdue – light on the collaboration between academics and technologists in addressing World’s biggest challenges. My own company is at the heart of this collective challenge; building on the success we had with an Ebola vaccine that came to market last year.
The use of artificial intelligence, for instance is now standard practice in both drug discovery and development; such calculations enable us to understand the potential (and potential issues) of a particular molecule with a far higher degree of certainty.
Such techniques are at the heart of, not only the search for a vaccine for covid-19, but the wider question of mitigation strategies to protect populations until the vaccine is found.
I find it fascinating (and, in professional capacity, gratifying) how such scientific data -- from infection rates, to mortality forecasts -- has become a staple of every news bulletin.
However, I’m equally conscious of how such science can transform itself into a form of unequivocal ‘absolute’ for any decision or situation in which we find ourselves – “It’s right, or it happened because the data said so..."
We should be wary of such assumptions; and not because my faith in science has been shaken in any way. Quite the opposite, my belief in and commitment towards rational research and investigation has never been deeper; and not only in the field of healthcare. Scientific theory and data-driven insights are also enlightening my management decisions, helping me to collaborate better with colleagues and partners, and better understand my customers (both healthcare professionals and their patents).
No. My reservations about so-called science or data ‘absolutism’ are based on something more profound. The power and impact of the human touch.
Maybe that’s why, according to research from Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, Canada, more than 40% of CEOs say they still make decisions based on intuition, despite having access to troves of empirical data.
According to clinical psychologist, Mary Lamia, emotions do not interfere with decision-making. Instead, they enhance it. Quoting from academic research, she writes: “Our feelings are designed to motivate us to pay attention to what’s important in terms of what is harmful or beneficial to us. Those feelings transform into smarter decisions when guided by conscious thought, which is your individual awareness of unique thoughts, memories, feelings and environment."
Far from discarding scientific logic in favour of instinct, I’m urging a recognition of both, as the most effective way to make decisions. I call it ‘decision balancing’. In my field of patient care, for instance, the potential of this combination has never been more evident.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, our manufacturing plants (as well of those of our partners) have remained operational to provide for the 85 million patients living with serious diseases (not necessarily covid-19-related) with the medication they need each and every day. Behind each data point, is the reality of millions manufacturing and healthcare professionals taking the decision to keep working and caring in extraordinarily difficult conditions.
In fact, the idea of patient care lies perfectly at the intersection between great science and great intuition; one delivered without the other would ultimately prove futile.
Science can be intimidating. It’s presence on our TV screens and newspapers is unprecedented, and a sign of the unparalleled work going on to mitigate and fight this pandemic, from all corners of science, research and technology.
But let’s not venerate the so-called ‘rational’ at the expense of the less rational, intuitive qualities which actually define as humans.
Now more than ever, we need both, in copious quantities!
(Anand Narasimhan is managing director at Merck Specialties Pvt Ltd and general manager, Merck India Biopharma. The views expressed in this column are his own.)
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