- The figures of the scientist and the tourist have been portrayed as emblematic of western modernity. Their arrival in faraway lands usually heralds new connections with the western world. For the populations witnessing their landing, the difference between these two figures is far from clear-cut. However, for the individuals traveling, the gap between the two is immeasurable: The scientist is a self-sacrificing champion of a universally beneficial project, while the tourist is an egocentric individual driven by a desire for self-gain. The first is supposedly lowly paid for his patient striving, while the second is a compulsive consumer. Such figures are not meant to meet (either physically or in social science publications), and if, by chance, they do cross paths in the same “elsewhere,” the scientist looks the other way, as if distracted.