A Message from Chuck Black

insights from the CFN Director

September 27, 2023

What do you do for exercise? What's your favorite activity?

I like nearly every kind of physical exercise, but my favorite is running. When I’m running, I’m listening to my body—feeling it come alive and then settle into a rhythm where it seems like I could run forever. I enjoy the time alone with my thoughts, the repetition of my steps and breathing providing a meditative cadence that helps me think clearly.

When I was younger, I thought "getting in shape" meant training my body by repeating an exercise over and over until it eventually became effortless. Getting older, however, I’ve realized that’s not quite right. Sure, my body gets stronger with exercise, but “getting in shape” also strengthens my mind.

When I'm fit, my mind is strong. I can better tolerate the discomfort of working hard. When I'm running well, I'll sometimes think to myself: "This really hurts—but I can still do it for a while longer.”

When I think about it this way, getting in shape is more of a transformational journey. At first, we push through tasks that are uncomfortable and unpleasant. But with time and persistence, we can start to embrace the discomfort and even enjoy the challenges that once were painful and daunting. These transformations are sometimes called metanoia, a word that describes a profound shift in perspective wherein the struggles become part of the joy.

I love the idea of metanoia. That with practice, we can teach our minds to deal with difficult things. How beneficial metanoia can be for many of our life’s activities—especially for our scientific research!

I've previously written about the challenges we face in our research careers. We struggle daily with difficult concepts, endure setbacks and disappointments, and encounter intellectual puzzles that seem beyond our ability to solve. In my previous message, I noted the importance of our community in helping us navigate these challenges. But in addition to building our community, what if we can embrace, and even enjoy, the challenges and setbacks of our work, and see them as an integral part of our journey?

Thinking about metanoia reminds me of the famed alpinist Jeff Lowe, one of the most accomplished North American mountain climbers ever. In his career, Lowe pioneered the incredibly dangerous technique of ice climbing, which requires skill, strength, and endurance. He is remembered for visionary climbs up the most challenging mountains, wherein he imagined new, impossible routes to the top and then achieved their first ascents.

Lowe’s most audacious climb was his 12-day solo ascent of the North Face of Mount Eiger in the Swiss Alps—one of the most treacherous places in the world. In 1991, Lowe imagined a new route up the dangerous face and relied on his skills, courage, mental strength, and unbreakable spirit to achieve an alpine climbing feat once thought to be impossible.

Upon completing this first ascent, Lowe named his new route Metanoia, to capture the mental transformation he underwent during the climb.  And later in his life, Lowe reflected on his climbing career in a short meditation that captures the joy he found in adversity and pushing limits:

More than five decades of hands grated by cracks;
Whole body aching from long days of big wall hauling;
Tiny tents, snow caves lashed by hurricane sleet.

Frozen fingers and toes;
Migraines and altitude malaise.
Not knowing what's to come.
It doesn't have to be fun, to be fun.

I encourage all of us to think about metanoia as we continue our important work. Let’s keep tackling important scientific questions with unwavering determination and creative thinking. Let’s embrace the challenges and setbacks that come with doing work that matters, as well as celebrating our successes.

“Not knowing what’s to come. It doesn’t have to be fun, to be fun.”

Let’s keep working together to make a difference.

— Dr. Charles Black
Director and Senior Scientist
Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Brookhaven National Laboratory

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