How one Cambridge experience has lasted 800 years
From Charles Darwin to Stephen Hawking, this lesson has been carried across every student since the year 1209.
What is it about Oxford and Cambridge that separate them from newer and wealthier institutions? Cambridge, founded in the year 1209, has maintained its status for centuries. In a nation established only 300 years ago, this tenure is unheard of in the United States. Following my arrival though, I quickly discovered what separated this university from all the others.
“Before the development of tourism, travel was conceived to be like study, and its fruits were considered to be the adornment of the mind and the formation of the judgment.”
— Paul Fussell, Abroad
5
In 1953, James Watson, an American molecular biologist, and Francis Crick, a British molecular biologist, discovered the structure of DNA.
In the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, these two scientists were brought together from varying backgrounds and experiences to combine their knowledge into resounding revelations that would rattle the world.
James Watson, only 25 at the time the structure of DNA was discovered, completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago at the young age of 19 then followed this by completing his PhD at Indiana University shortly afterwards.
Francis Crick was born to a boot maker in a small village near Northampton, England. He received his bachelors in physics from University College London. A physicist working in biology, Crick was responsible for writing his dissertation on X-ray crystallography of hemoglobin before Watson arrived. Watson, eager to work on DNA, convinced Crick to combine their work with Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray photographs to discover, what is today, the structure of DNA.
It’s clear without the juxtaposition of otherworldly perspectives, these researchers would not have discovered the structure of the DNA. Had it not been for Watson’s ardent desire to delve into DNA studies, Crick would have continued on his trajectory and Franklin’s photographs would have continued collecting dust. The University of Cambridge’s deftness at unifying the brightest minds is the reason it has maintained such high regard over centuries.
This ability didn’t commence or conclude with the structure if DNA. Rather, it was just one blip along the continuum provided by the platform the University of Cambridge continues to apply to this day.
“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”
— Anaïs Nin, French author
4
Fast-forward 67 years, and it is 3 March 2020. The Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility cohort steps into the small room allocated to them in the Keynes House section of the Judge Business School. The room, just big enough for 50 students to awkwardly squeeze in, was a luxury of the pre-Covid intimacy afforded to small classrooms. They were meeting for their 7th class and were using an online simulation as the medium for the day’s lesson.
Having known about the program prior to class, the students had an opportunity to try it out and determine how it worked. Some went through and played it from start to finish while others waited for the lesson to try their hand. As class begun, the students broke off into their groups. Since no guidance was offered, the students congregated with the people they associated with best.
In the front, four gentlemen sat close together. Two of which were from the United States while the other two had predominately US-leaning ideals. Strewn about the remainder of the room were a few mixed groups; some students from east Asia and others of European descent.
The game began and, if watching from afar, followed a trajectory easily predicted solely based on country of association. On the spectral extremes, the group representing the US took a capitalist approach and bought all the assets and gained a massive market share as quickly as possible while the diverse group of Europeans realized the negative externalities of these unsustainable business practices and thus opted for a more sustainable route.
As the simulation came to a close, the capitalist approach maximized its financial gain but left the market decimated for any further opportunities. The Europeans, on the other hand, predicted the results of domination and the damage it would cause to the environment, the local economy, and their future business opportunities. Instead of capitalizing on the lush supply available now, they employed a long-term approach which benefited everyone.
Who do you think came out better at the end?
“There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, “Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,” and an optimist who says, “Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.” Either way, nothing happens.”
— Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia
3
The domineering principle gained from section 4, just the same as one of the key characteristics leading to the discovery of the DNA, is the difference in perspectives between people of different upbringings, and the resulting lesson the US group and EU group walked away with. There was no correct answer to this simulation as the purpose of its use is understanding the different solutions to a single problem. The discussion that followed laid out clearly that neither side had predicted how the other would act, and in fact, both were shocked by the others actions. Both sides can be persuasively argued and both have for centuries, but it’s the realization of the existence and appreciation of its purpose of the opposition that differentiates the parties.
Understanding the experiences that other’s are brought up with is critical to successful business deals and new scientific discoveries. The ability to squash or amplify underlying biases before they arise surprisingly will be the differentiator between losing and winning.
Returning to the story of Crick and Watson, had they not utilized their differing perspectives and knowledge bases, they would not have actualized their solution. It isn’t solely about diversity of color or sex, but diversity of mind, experience and perspective. Coming from different countries, from different neighborhoods, and different teachers, provides each person a different solution. It is the collective progression of knowledge on both sides that is the only way to facilitate real change.
“We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
2
Coming to the University of Cambridge, I heard this experience was real, but it wasn’t until I personally felt the embarrassment of feeling so inconsiderate that I realized the exorbitant effect it actually has on my perspective of the world and how I approach other people and problems.
If you haven’t figured it out already, I was a part of the group of US students leading with Capitalistic desires bent on asset domination. When we began this exercise, I was convinced we were making the only smart business move, but as the game ended and we compared results, I was sorely mistaken. Not only did we end up losing money, but the more environmentally sustainable route yielded more profit and reduced negative externalities.
It wasn’t just the data that left me feeling like a failure and an inconsiderate or uneducated citizen, it was the true bewilderment and concern that one of the Swedish students showed as she quizzically looked over at us and asked for an explanation for our strategy. This truly had a significant impact on the perspective I will carry forth with me, and one I can hopefully share with others.
In a time period such as today where we are separated by a deadly virus, polarized politics, and racial injustice, we need this understanding more than ever. Realizing that we all have different viewpoints, understandings of the world, goals, and ideals will only help us progress faster and further, however if we forget this, and instead work in our polarized silos we will fall back and lose a foothold on any power we once had. Coming together in a time of turmoil is the strongest action we can take as a people and thus as a nation.
I will continue seeking to build a strong group of open-minded, intelligent, and considerate friends, leaders, and confidants everywhere I go. I willfully acknowledge this won’t be easy. In fact, true change comes only in the moments when we feel discomfort. This is because in these moments our long-held beliefs are challenged. Our views on the world are changed, and we are given the distinctly unique opportunity to view our life in a new light. Whether we take that opportunity or not, is up to us.
“Travel is not reward for working. It’s education for living.”
— Anthony Bourdain
1
To all my friends in the Tech Pol and Caius cohorts, thank you for all the lessons you taught me about life. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity. When the media and other sources are screaming day in and out that countries like China and Russia are horrible, I’ll think back to the day I shared hot pot with my roommates Heqing (China) and Nikita (Russia) in our kitchen and to all the stories we told as we progressed through our own journeys. I didn’t just learn about the Triple Helix, Schumpeterian Competition, and how to rip a wicked fast 30 rate 20 on the ergo, I learned about how this world truly operates and about all the amazing people making that happen. The person that left Cambridge is not the same person that arrived 10 months prior. Although the time there was short and cut even shorter by Covid-19, I will forever look back at this period as one of the most pivotal moments of my life.
