Brian Greene: Put a Little Science in Your Life

[muriel_volestrangler]

When we consider the ubiquity of cellphones, iPods, personal computers and the Internet, it’s easy to see how science (and the technology to which it leads) is woven into the fabric of our day-to-day activities. When we benefit from CT scanners, M.R.I. devices, pacemakers and arterial stents, we can immediately appreciate how science affects the quality of our lives. When we assess the state of the world, and identify looming challenges like climate change, global pandemics, security threats and diminishing resources, we don’t hesitate in turning to science to gauge the problems and find solutions.

And when we look at the wealth of opportunities hovering on the horizon — stem cells, genomic sequencing, personalized medicine, longevity research, nanoscience, brain-machine interface, quantum computers, space technology — we realize how crucial it is to cultivate a general public that can engage with scientific issues; there’s simply no other way that as a society we will be prepared to make informed decisions on a range of issues that will shape the future.

These are the standard — and enormously important — reasons many would give in explaining why science matters.

But here’s the thing. The reason science really matters runs deeper still. Science is a way of life. Science is a perspective. Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that’s precise, predictive and reliable — a transformation, for those lucky enough to experience it, that is empowering and emotional. To be able to think through and grasp explanations — for everything from why the sky is blue to how life formed on earth — not because they are declared dogma but rather because they reveal patterns confirmed by experiment and observation, is one of the most precious of human experiences.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/opinion/01greene.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[BB1]

1. Science is my religion

My messiah would be a time-machine, and instead of praying, I do research:)

[drm604]

2. Excellent article.

Everyone should read the entire thing.

My degree is in computer science, and I never went beyond a bachelors. But I've had a lifelong love of the natural sciences. I gobble up episodes of Nova and issues of Scientific American. My heroes are people like Carl Sagan and Richard Dawkins.

I would go so far as to say that my love of science is one of the things that has shaped my political beliefs. I believe in facts, wherever they may lead us. The Republican Party, at least in recent decades, seems to specialize in denying facts and misleading people. I simply can't stomach that. Not that the Democratic Party is perfect in this regard, but it doesn't seem to be an inherent part of their thinking in the same way it is for Republicans.

A love of science opens up the mind and helps to immunize against blind dogma. It teaches us to always question and ask for proof. It teaches us humility when we realize our small insignificant place in the universe.