“Remains Unknown”

I was reading a book on science and in the afterword the author mentioned

That it gave him immense pleasure to write “Remains unknown” multiple times- initially I was stunned

To read that a researcher would find joy in whatever remained

After years of ardent research and exploration, unexplained

But as I read the page further, I realized how this statement

Embodied a scientist’s unwavering commitment

To continue to experiment, discover, explore

To be guided by the tantalizing promise of more

*

This reminded me of how each research proposal begins by stating

What is already known on a subject and the unanswered question one is evaluating

That thrill of launching a new experiment, a study, to find

Something potentially groundbreaking stimulates a scientist’s mind

That spirit of scientific inquiry was what the author was alluding to

And once I understood it, I was in wholehearted agreement too