Teikmanis: the image of scientists as naive does not match reality
Robotics and machine learning researcher Oskars Teikmanis told Latvian Radio's "Monopols" that scientists are not naive idealists, noting that in many countries today they face real pressure and restrictions on academic freedom. He called for more public discussion of how scientists' work serves society's interests.
A common misconception
Oskars Teikmanis, chairman of the board of the Latvian Young Scientists' Association and a researcher at the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, addressed a widespread perception in an interview on Latvian Radio's programme "Monopols": that scientists are naive idealists detached from everyday reality.
According to Teikmanis, this view is mistaken. He pointed out that in numerous countries today, scientists face restrictions on academic freedom and various forms of external pressure — a fact that shows the scientific community is not isolated from social and political developments, but closely connected to them.
A call to change the narrative
Teikmanis stressed the need for more public conversation emphasizing that scientists are not naive, but work in the interest of society. In his view, the very pressure and constraints researchers encounter in different countries demonstrate that their work is closely tied to real-world problems rather than removed from them.
Teikmanis himself works at the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, focusing on robotics and machine learning, and also leads the Latvian Young Scientists' Association, which represents the interests of early-career researchers. The conversation about the role and public image of scientists aired on Latvian Radio's programme "Monopols".
