ISSN 2409-4943. Ukr. Biochem. J., 2019, Vol. 91, N 2 doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/ubj91.02.005 THE SISYPHUS EFFECT SA NDOR G. VARI International Research and Innovation in Medicine Program, Cedars - Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048-5502, USA; e-mail:
[email protected] cientific work for researchers, women and men results as well as repeat the published methods and equally, is an endless challenge. Determining research protocols again and again and these tasks S new markers for early diagnosis of diseases, can seem like “Sisyphean” work. Furthermore, in investigating the maintenance of cell and tissue ho- Science, the research community also plays the role meostasis, studying metabolic regulation and dys- of Zeus and will punish dishonesty so therefore we regulation as well as intra-organ and interorgan researchers must roll a boulder up a hill again and crosstalk can be tiresome work and can sometimes again and after we have proved that the published seem like the punishment Zeus gave to Sisyphus. scientific work is sound, the “boulder” and the scien Sisyphus, the Greek mythological figure, was con- tist will stay on top of the hill. demned to roll a boulder up a mountain but near the In the Association for Regional Cooperation top of the mountain the boulder roll down; for eter- in the Fields of Health, Science and Technology nity Sisyphus was forced to repeat this task over and (RECOOP HST Association) scientists equally share over. Although scientific research can sometimes the burden of Zeus and Sisyphus independently of seem like this, the cleverness of scientists helps to the status of their X and Y chromosomes, and I overcome the “Sisyphus Effect”.“I leave Sisyphus at know from Albert Camus’ essay that Sisyphus is the foot of the mountain.