The Paradox of Scientific Non-Existence: Silent Shadows in the Halls of Knowledge

 

The well-known philosophical question, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”, is commonly answered by asserting that the impact of its fall generates sound waves, which—if an observer endowed with auditory perception were present—would be perceived as noise. Yet, in the absence of such an observer, there are only sound vibrations, devoid of conscious interpretation.

By analogy, a scientist who produces a study that goes unnoticed by the scientific community resembles the tree that falls unheard in the forest. From an empirical standpoint, the study undeniably exists: the methodology was implemented, and the results were documented—just as the tree produced sound waves. However, from an epistemic or perceptual perspective, the study functions as if it never took place, since no one engaged with or acknowledged it. Its impact, therefore, is null. In this sense, it is worth recalling the assertion of the physicist Carlo Rovelli that scientists who make no impact are not merely invisible; they are, in a profound ontological sense, non-existent https://pachecotorgal.com/2022/06/08/interactions-as-a-paramount-existential-principle-and-the-scientists-who-do-not-exist/

The phenomenon of invisible—or scientifically non-existent—researchers constitutes not merely an inefficiency but a profound distortion of the scientific enterprise. The funding, time, and institutional capital expended on work that goes unnoticed or unacknowledged produce virtually no intellectual return, while simultaneously depriving other, more productive researchers of the means to advance knowledge. This misallocation corrodes the very foundations of merit-based science, rewarding existence over impact. Even more troubling, empirical evidence indicates that these “invisible” scientists exert a persistently harmful influence on the careers of young scientists, distorting mentorship structures, and perpetuating cycles of mediocrity that undermine the collective progress of science itself. https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/08/warning-to-young-researchers-hidden.html