Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication

Why this is very important

Today one of my friends who knows that I don't like celebrity culture sent me these pictures

China is putting scientists on giant public screens across malls, metro stations and major buildings, giving scientific pioneers the kind of visibility usually reserved for commercial campaigns .

The idea gained attention in Shandong after a shopping mall displayed aerospace scientist Qian Xuesen on a huge exterior screen, and similar tributes later appeared in other cities and provinces. Figures shown include Yuan Longping, Tu Youyou, Qian Sanqiang and Deng Jiaxian, representing major contributions to agriculture, medicine, nuclear science and spaceflight.

Many of these portraits are appearing in prime advertising locations such as shopping-center facades, LED billboards and subway displays, turning everyday commercial spaces into public tributes. The wider message is about who society chooses to celebrate and whether scientists should receive the same level of visibility often given to celebrities, brands and entertainment.

I was thrilled to the core to see these pics in public spaces.

My friend told me that I was the inspiration behind sharing theses pictures all over social media by him.

He read these articles I wrote sometime back on this issue:

Aberration-in-human-behaviour-with-regard-to-celebrities-and-their ...

Should-the-field-of-science-use-celebrities-to-promote-science

Should-scientists-even-bother-about-the-celebrity-status-no!

But scientists should be presented as they are and not as celebrities. The very word muddies the scientific field.

Science relies on peer review, doubt, and slow testing.

Celebrity culture relies on quick hype, personal charm, and absolute certainty.

Here is why this match fails.

Style Over Substance

Fame rewards simplicity: Celebrities sell an image or a feeling. Science is complex, slow, and full of contesting areas.

The hype trap: When science chases celebrity status, universities and journals tend to exaggerate findings. This leads to flashy headlines that the underlying data cannot back up.

The cult of personality: Science is a group effort. It depends on many people checking each other's work. Celebrity culture focuses on a single hero, which goes against how scientific credit and truth actually work.

The Danger of Fake Expertise

Pseudoscience spreads: Famous figures often promote unproven health or beauty advice, such as "detox" cleanses.

Intuition beats evidence: Celebrity claims often sound right to our gut feelings. However, real science often goes against human intuition and requires hard evidence.

Real-world harm: When stars endorse bad medical treatments or question proven public health tools, people get hurt.

But still why researchers do it

Gaining Attention: Research shows that naming an obscure or uncharismatic animal (like a bug or a worm) after a major star drastically boosts public interest and media coverage.

Honouring Icons: Researchers often name a creature after a celebrity they genuinely admire, or because the animal shares a quirky physical trait with the star.

A Historical Habit: Even Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, named plants and animals after wealthy patrons to gain favour and funding back in the 18th century.

Famous Examples

Scaptia beyonceae: A rare horsefly with a striking, shiny golden rear end was named in honor of Beyoncé.

Ilomantis ginsburgae: A species of praying mantis was named after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg because the insect's neck frills resemble the lace collars she wore.

Aphonopelma johnnycashi: A tarantula discovered near Folsom Prison was named after Johnny Cash because the spider is mostly black, matching the singer's famous "Man in Black" style.

Agra stephani: A diving beetle named after Stephen Colbert after the comedian jokingly challenged scientists to name a cool insect after him.

The Downsides

Not everyone loves the trend ( I am the first one in this list ). Some scientists worry about "nomenclatural regret"—the awkward situation where a celebrity falls from grace or faces a major scandal after a species has already been permanently named after them. Others point out that it can sometimes reinforce unequal power dynamics in the scientific community instead of honouring traditional or indigenous names.

Why don't these researchers think about scientists who did enormous work in their own field?

If they themselves ignore their colleagues how can they expect others to respect and follow their good work?

Another thing to think about is how the gen Z and gen Alpha follow the celebrities and think entertainment is everything in life. Cracking silly jokes, using double meaning and derogatory words, endorsing superficiality and materialism, and thinking that dazzling lights, heavy make up and 'acting strangely' is life all about!

But life will not be like that in reality. There will be suffering.

Suffering brings depth to character.

If people are brought up only as entertainment as the reality, they never learn how to cope with difficulties in life.

I have seen children who think of their old and suffering parents as obstacles to their entertainment and happiness. They get rid of them by putting them in old age homes.

Some resort to suicide unable to cope with harsh realities of life after watching the artificial celebrity life.

Some who suffered a lot in life gain depth and reach great heights.

Most success stories come from these people.

Hardships are not bad.

But if a person is subjected to only hardship that too is not good. It affects them psychologically.

There should be a balance between entertainment and hardships.

Then only life flourishes.

Promoting only celebrity life is confusing the mindsets of recent generations to the extent that most of them don't think that the cell phones and laptops they use are science and tech based (I have seen scores of them criticising science and tech using these very things on social media). That the medicines they use for their ailments originate in a lab. That doctors get their primary and authentic knowledge from scientists. That the universe runs on scientific principles and the world runs on science and technology now.

And the very importance of science.

What is the solution to this problem?

China is showing us the way. Let us follow it.

For me these scientists are way above celebrities. I want to see them all over the place.

Why this is very important

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