My academic path was determined early. I come from privilege; one where my grandparents enjoyed an academic education, and so did their kids - my parents. All of them - willingly or unwillingly - fostered in me a pragmatic outlook.

My grandfather (1934-2023), a physicist by training who wrote his PhD against the use of ABC weapons, worked at the CERN, the Fraunhofer Institute, and eventually retired as an advocate for peace, de-nucleraisation and foreign aid. (Refer to the transcript of his speech (in German) at the Federation of German Scientists.) He would watch over me doing homework, occasionally help out, although mostly requiring me to consider where I would study before I could distinguish a fraction from a derivative. My other grandfather (1944), a historian by training, worked for the French government and helped to set up tertiary education in post-Soviet states. His influence has been less formal in that sense; he always emphasised the connection to nature, neighbours, peers, and the simple needs of life. In some way he certainly has traits of a cynic.

As I left school and choose to study abroad with the full support of my parents, I soon learned about the human complexity of society, economy, and everything else around. I learned of this complexity - and the role individuals play in it - even more so as I too began with a PhD. ‘Things’ are not always what they seem; “decentralisation” does not equate distribution; “sovereignty” (of the self) does not equate empowerment; perspectives and thoughts, losses and benefits differ according to the eye of the beholder. Cynicism is needed.

Following an academic path enabled me to scratch the surface of things I care about; things I thought to benefit the many, but soon realised that actually benefit the few. For instance, I believed that the blockchain warrants ‘desirable’ social values and actually ‘improves’ things. As I showed in my work, reality is different. The interest of the few (always?) triumphs over that of the many. The metaverse, another technology I studied, is no different to that axiom.

The critical view I have of technology, the pragmatism that guides my research, work, and outlook has become a raison d’être - a reason to be - in the metaphysical sense. I ask the uncomfortable questions.