Question 3

The Article Does Science Matter remarks upon the changing public opinion and newfound criticism of science and its practical purposes in a way that refers to both the good and bad wrought from research and discovery.  It seems that the main point of the article is to weigh the pros and cons of scientific discovery in current times, when the question of morality has only recently been introduced.  Aside from that, it seems we live in a time when certain fields of research have finally reached a point wherein the product of human ingenuity can be used to harm mankind, as opposed to benefit it.  Even in biotechnology, a field which should be used specifically to help people, there is the fear of someone abusing the knowledge and technology capable in that line of research for destructive purposes.  As said by Dr. Philip Kitcher, “As this becomes ever easier and cheaper, it’s only a matter of time before some misguided people decide to infect the world.”  With an ever-increasing expanse of knowledge open to the public for manipulation, it only seems natural by now that some group of people will take advantage of these resources.

However, that is not to say that the article does not also speak of the great leaps science has taken in the actual betterment of mankind.  As stated at one point in the article, “Advances in food, public health and medicine helped raise life expectancy in the United States in the past century from roughly 50 to 80 years.”  The benefits mankind has received in terms of energy efficiency, human survival rates and the understanding of the universe as a whole argues the necessity of science.  With all the opposition these fields have begun to receive, it comes to no surprise that many scientists fear for how their jobs and research will be perceived.  With large portions of the population resisting the scientific method, and instead using religion as a guide, there is a clear divide in the population.

It seems to me that the excitement for scientific discovery among the population has stagnated, with fear and limits replacing what once was free and enthusiastic.  As said in the article, “Without the space race and the cold war, and perhaps facing intrinsic limits as well as declining budgets, they are slightly adrift.”  It seems to me that the United States as become so gripped with fear at how far science has come, and without a clear motive for necessary advancement, certain sciences have hit a point of fear to improve.

This is a response to a 2003 New York Times article Does Science Matter? by William J. Broad and James Glanz. To read the article click this link. Does Science Matter?

The question is not “Does science matter?”, such a question is ludicrous. Science has always mattered, as the scientific method forms the crucibles of fact. It provides us with a system to discover the world around us. The systematic thinking and actions of this method allow all people to join in the investigation of questions about who we are and where we come from. Because of science’s inquisitive abilities, it enables us to create incredible technologies that better the health of society and the environment.

We have developed preventative care, like vaccines, but when that fails we also have treatments and medicines enabling us to live long prosperous lives. The list of scientific discoveries that further our understanding of the world and benefit us is extensive. The scientific method can be tested and built upon, making the accumulation of useful knowledge infinite.

The scientific method that furthers our understanding of ourselves, the world and the universe, the method. It improves personal and societal health and is therefore absolutely relevant. Unfortunately, the authors, William Broad and James Glanz base science’s supposed irrelevance in its implementation. The act of scientific research and observation, of executing the scientific method, is purely beneficial. Blaming science for health problems and environmental destruction is misdirected. In reality, industry has implemented scientific discoveries in destructive ways because they value one thing: their bottom line. Instead of building profit through sustainable practices and long term thinking, companies obsess over short term gain. However science is not always a speedy endeavor and frequently disproves itself. This process is crucial to obtain factual results, in turn these results provide the ideas and facts that industry can implement. But when companies do not allow the process to take place, they authorize harmful technologies based on incomplete science.

In addition, the privately funded research is recklessly applied especially when it benefits a company. The most crucial part of the scientific method, recreating and falsifying an experiment, is lacking due to misguided intentions. In the competition of a capitalist market, it is actually beneficial for a company to conceal research results if they can benefit the company. Shielding science can give a company a competitive advantage in the market. Therefore to preserve the relevancy of science to the public and the scientific method itself, science must be exposed from the secret laboratories of industry and thrust into the public. I do not underestimate the force of capitalism to determine success and failure. But when public and environmental health determine industrial success, government regulation and publicly funded science is absolutely necessary to enforce properly practiced scientific research.

There are no evil scientists, just wrongful application.  Science will always be relevant, it will always matter, as long as we preserve the integrity of the scientific method and implement it in ways that are relevant our society rather than private interest.

We Stopped Dreaming- Neil deGrasse Tyson (the link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldyoHaktv5U

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. While it raised some serious and valid points, I felt that the writer, and people cited, were making more of a problem out of the issue at hand than there needed to be. I would not call it exaggeration, but more that the article was expecting more out of people than they should really need to give. 

As far as science moving into the private sector, my thoughts are that it should be. I feel that it cannot be driven by a bottom line and if it is funded by the government, that would probably be an issue. It would make sense that it is moving more into the private sector because the government already has a lot on its plate. While that sounds like poor reasoning, the government, I believe, should be there to support the people. Not everyone thinks that looking in space for extraterrestrials is a good use of their tax money in comparison to other uses.

The article quotes two prominent physicists, Stephen Hawking and Steven Weinberg. While Hawking thinks, “that discovering a better theory of gravitation would be like seeing into ”the mind of God”(3), Weinberg believes, “the more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless”(3). My ideas would lie with Weinberg. However, maybe that is only because I am not a religious person. I think it could it could be looked in each way easily depending on the person. 

Part of this article reminded me of a novel, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. In which scientists were too caught up in believing they, and only they, were correct. The author, Rebecca Skloot, quotes a scientist, in response to the Nuremberg Trials, who said, “When we are prevented from attempting seemingly innocuous studies of cancer behavior in humans… we may mark 1966 as the year in which all medical progress ceased”(Skloot 135). One the next page, Skloot goes on to explain how quite clearly, medical progress did not come to a stop. While I know this is obviously not the same thing as what the article talks about, it does point to how scientists can get too caught up in how things “used to be” that they cannot see how great things could be. My point is that just because there is less support for scientific research than during the Cold War, that does not mean that it is the end, or that people do not care. It would make sense that there is less support! If people are threatened by war, obviously they will be more interested something that could help them.

The article, at one point, also complains about the fact that so few people have the same amount of education as they do. Broad and Glanz write, about a survey conducted, “Its latest numbers show that 90 percent of adult Americans say they are very or moderately interested in science discoveries. Even so, only half the survey respondents knew that the Earth takes a year to go around the Sun”(3). It seems to me they are trying to find an issue where there is not one. In addition it really is not fair for these scientists to expect that everyone share their opinion. 

The Article:

In reference to the New York Times…

A little dated maybe, but this article still raises several good questions about the situation that science finds itself in today. For a society that owes so much to the calculations and calm logic of science, I find it boggling how many people, even in our country alone, still manage to cling to an almost medieval mistrust of scientific advancement.

Even though, as the authors state, science has raised the national life-expectancy 30 years in the past century, developed cures and vaccines for countless diseases, put men on the Moon, machines on Mars, and even made our day-to-day lives more comfortable with everything from the light bulb to digital electronics, significant portions of the population still find it in themselves to doubt or disregard entirely the teachings of the system that has made possible every break-through in our knowledge of the world since the days of the Greeks. Even now opponents of mainstream science are haggling the intellectual community with issues seemingly dragged out of antiquity, such as the practice of astrology, the existence of ghosts or, more recently, the teaching of Darwinism versus Intelligent Design, an argument that we thought buried with the Monkey Trials. Taken as a whole, the evidence provided by authors serves to paint a fairly bleak picture of the current state of rationality in our society.

Granted, the stats cited in the article should be taken with a grain of salt. While, “most Americans believe in miracles,” and, “half believe in ghosts,” this doesn’t directly indicate that a majority of our population believes in magic or has renounced science altogether. Instead, I think it speaks more to the increasingly prominent conflict in our society between science and religion. Not to say that there is an ever-widening gap between the two- on the contrary, the coexistence of science and religion has come a long ways since the days of Galileo and Giordano Bruno. Instead, it seems that as science has advanced and given us increasingly reliable evidence detailing the nature of our universe, it has become more and more tricky for people to reconcile their spiritual beliefs with their scientific ones. While I believe it entirely possible to do, I think that the difficulty of engaging in such an internal philosophical debate turns many away, as it is much easier to give oneself over to the basic, learned tenants of one system than to try to question them in light of new evidence. “Isn’t it incredible that you have so much fundamentalism, retreating back to so much ignorance?” For better or worse, it seems as though religion has always posed a significant speed bump in the road to acceptance and pursuit of scientific progress.

That being said, I do agree that religion or other less-than-scientific belief systems can and do play significant roles in many people’s lives, and I don’t mean to vilify religion or loft science up as the one true goal of society. I do, however, believe that irrational adherence to outdated customs can often impede societal progress. I think that science has been an integral part of our development as a species, and it is because of this that I agree with Dr. John H. Gibbons when he says, “The urgency is to re-establish the fundamental position that science plays in helping devise uses of knowledge to resolve social ills. I hope rationality will triumph. But you can’t count on it. As President Chirac said, we’ve lost the primacy of reason.”

There is an older article from the New York Times, and it poses a very interesting question: Does science matter? A response would be to say yes, citing the many great strides that have been made in the field of technology and medicine. But what’s interesting about this article is that it addresses these topics within the first couple paragraphs, then focuses on the future of science. The future of science has never been something I have given much thought. When I think of the sciences, I think of Einstein, Newton, and many other great philosophers and scientific revolutionaries. Yet, I never think of the current scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, and hypothesis’ that are being tested today. So, where is science headed?

An alternative to “In God We Trust”

Scientific research in the United States has shifted from the public view into the private sector, caused by decreased federal funding and increased apathy from the general public on the scientific world. This change has impacted, and will continue to impact, both science and society in a negative manner. With scientific endeavors becoming more isolated and secluded from the public eye, regular citizens will become more and more suspicious of the motives and experiments that scientists are doing. This will, in turn, cause scientists and researchers to view the public as both ignorant and juvenile, unable to see all the positive things that science could bring in the future. But this is not the only major issue here; as with the privatization of any area, science will slowly become all about making money, instead of investing in projects for the greater good of humanity.

Even space travel has become privatized

When something becomes privatized, it becomes a business, and a business is all about the money. This can be great for businesses, but terrible for those who cannot afford the bill. In a privatized scientific world, the knowledge and power goes to the highest bidder, not the greatest need. It’s always been very expensive to fund any type of scientific research, but the government should be in charge of certain areas of study, especially those relating to the health and well-being of the public. Private business should focus on more commercial areas, areas that specialize in luxuries, not dire needs.

Science maintains importance in a wide range of areas of study

Yes, science matters. But the future of science is uncertain, and in order to keep evolving as a species, we must be sure to keep scientific research in check. If we are always questioning, always wondering, always remaining open to the positive aspects that science can bring, we will understand the true importance of science.

Image sources:

http://www.catholic.com/blog/trent-horn/does-it-matter-that-many-scientists-are-atheists

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/12/audacious-space-companies-2012/?pid=5749

http://asiasociety.org/education/resources-schools/professional-learning/three-steps-put-global-issues-your-science-class

This is a response to the New York Times article “Does Science Matter?” written by William J. Broad and James Glanz.

Science and religion have never been the best of friends. While they are both concerned with some common issues, they represent two very different ends of a spectrum. At one end of this spectrum lies a world wholly devoted to science, in which knowledge of the world around us abounds. Societal and political obstacles in tackling the unknown seem to be nonexistent. The article includes a quote from Steven Weinberg, though, in which he writes that “the more the universe becomes comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.” There is a certain wonder to the unknown. There always has been and always will be. Having that presence of the unknown still in this world is what keeps scientific interest and discovery chugging along. If we knew everything there is to know, that wonder would disappear. There would be no magic in the mysteries of the universe, only a book full of the facts and theories, or as many people would see it, just a bunch more facts that they don’t need to know.

Now, this seems to present a fairly strong argument for the religion side of the spectrum, for the willing suspension of disbelief of the unknown in the universe, for faith in the fact that although we may not know everything there is to know, we don’t need to. We can just enjoy the miracles of existence. For this side of the spectrum there is also a sanctity in what lies beyond our planet, in the heavens. And probing into this with scientific feelers can be seen as trying to understand something that we are not supposed to.

That said, I personally am not a religious person in the least. My initial thought is that I want to know everything there is to know about the universe. But, I do see the validity to the argument that, with knowledge, there is also a sense of pointlessness. Why should we care about what we already know if we can’t build upon it to discover more? As I said before, science and religion represent the ends of a spectrum. My opinion is that scientific discovery is at its apex of interest and knowledge somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. The desire for knowledge is exacerbated by knowledge itself. The more we know, the more we want to know. That is where interest in science comes from. There will always be the scientific types who want to know everything. There will also always be those who are content with the level of knowledge available and who will leave the rest to wonder. In my opinion, the perfect scientific balance lies with a society in which there is a constant desire to learn more, but at the same time an awareness that we will never know everything, and a level of contentment in the wondrous  awe that comes with the mysteries of the universe.

Hello everyone! Nolan Fromm here, marking my first ever entry in the blogging universe. I know, I know. Try not to look as excited as I do. I want to start off by saying thanks to those of you wayfaring bloglodites who are here to share this moment with me. As I’m sure you know, this is going to be one of those serious milestones in life that will be looked back on for years, to be chronicled right alongside such events as my graduation day, or the birth of my first child. I just want you to know I appreciate you being here to witness it.

So, on to business I suppose. I’m a first-year student at Colorado College, and am keeping this blog as part of my first class, “Life in the Universe”. I know, nothing like starting off the year with a modest topic. While it is a physics course, it’s apparently deeply rooted in astronomy and biology, and we will be discussing the existence of known life in the universe, as well as the possibility of extraterrestrial life. We have been instructed to post a few times a week about topics we find intriguing in our research. Just a heads up about subsequent post material.

As far as background on myself… I’m from Missoula, Montana and am the older of two brothers. I was a captain on my high school swim team, am an experienced violinist and an avid George R.R. Martin fan. I have no astronomy experience whatsoever (apart from being able to pick out Orion and the occasional Scorpius), and only a single high school physics class under my belt.

However, despite my lack of preparation, I am very excited about Life in the Universe (probably due in no small part to the mandatory sci-fi movie screenings), and look forward to learning more about the origins and development of everything that makes our world possible. I couldn’t think of a better way to begin my college career than starting with a topic so fundamental.

My name is Christian Bladon, currently a freshman at Colorado College with fairly limited experience in the field of physics, and even less in astronomy.  For the most part, my experiences involving the stars mainly revolve around laying on the beaches of Rhode Island after 12 AM and watching the milky way.  Other than that, I can vaguely recognize and distinguish certain constellations.  However, any knowledge of how these constellations and celestial bodies work is completely foreign to me as of right now.

On a more personal note, I was born in Wayland, Massachusetts, where my family still lives today.  

While growing up, I was never much into doing nature related activities such as hiking or climbing.  However, after spending a 10 day period camping and hiking in the woods of New Hampshire my senior year of high school, and rock climbing with a group of friends everyday for about three months, that changed.  It may have taken longer for my love of the natural world to take hold, but being outside has always been something I’ve loved.  It just took some extra time before I realized how walking through the woods or up a mountain can be just as calming and fun and sitting on the grass in a large field with some friends.

Since around the age of 14, or whenever my first freshman year ended, I’ve lived away from this home.  The reason is that after freshman year of High school, I transferred over to a boarding school in New Hampshire called Holderness.  I switched primarily for the schools strong snowboarding program.  I entertained a dream of becoming a professional snowboard racer for the first two years there, until I heard of special program that allowed travel for high school students while still giving credits.Through this program, I spent my junior year living in Spain with a host family, going to class, and learning how to speak spanish somewhat fluently.  I finished senior year at Holderness.

From the class itself, I hope to attain a higher understanding of the physics of the universe, and a better idea of what I actually believe about alien life and it’s influence on human culture.  The pervasiveness of extraterrestrial life in pop culture blurs the lines between what is actually feasible, and what is absolutely impossible.  Hopefully this class will help me better sift through the blatantly fictional, and appreciate the truly possible in works of literature and other forms of media.  Besides that, I remember taking a physics class in high school that kept me interested throughout most of the units taught.  I hope to gain an understanding of a higher level of physics, on a grander scale than simple projectile motion.

What really draws me to the class is the study of the celestial bodies and planets on a much grander scale, in relation to a planets potential for new life.  The physics behind a planets ability to house life seems radically different than the smaller things that actually take place on a planet.  I look forward to understanding some of the math involved with a planet’s function, and how it affects the potential for life.

Hello!  My name is Jarrett Kong, yes that’s actually correct.  I am an 18 year-old Chicago-born of Chinese and European descent, hence the Kong last name, though you wouldn’t know looking at me unless I told you.  I grew up in Southern California in a medium size city called Ventura, about an hour north of Los Angeles.  I’m an avid tennis player and won a few tournaments before I left for high school.  Unlike most kids I knew, I attended a private boarding school in Ojai, California called Thacher, where I spent my senior year researching and studying all types of astronomy and space related sciences, eventually focusing on modes and methods on space travel.

Space Shuttle Endeavor flying over my hometown.

From then on, my interest in void we call space has only deepened, and I spent many an hour this summer reading encyclopedias, books, and web pages to enhance my understanding.  Using our own personal telescope, I could observe the moon from my house, and attended a public gathering to look through the telescope of a NASA certified researcher.  Ever since, I’ve desired to major in a subject that would allow me to work in that field, either on the business end or research end, so long as its space related. Therefore, my potential majors are astrophysics for the research side, or economics for the business side.

I chose Life in the Universe as my top choice FYE because I am convinced that this class will help me determine if I really want to work within space and astronomy, or deter me from them all together.  Even if I decide that working in the field of astronomy and space isn’t for me, I know there is no way I will find this class a drag.

Many consider space and astronomy to be the least understood aspect of the our lives.  That being said, I find the deep space elements to be the most intriguing and fascinating, because they are unknown.  Pulsars and quasars, binary-star systems, black holes, and nebulas are perfect examples.  They are some of the most awe-inspriing of the great mystery that is the universe.  It’s truly amazing that these actually exist, as they seem to come straight from a Jules Verne sci-fi novel.  The universe is a subject with endless questions, each with answers waiting to be discovered by scientists.  That scientist might just be me someday.  That’s part of what makes it exciting.

Horsehead Nebula

Images:

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/690557main_SCA_Endeavour_over_Ventura.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/52238main_MM_image_feature_89_jw4.jpg

For my first official post, I thought it would be a nice idea if you got to know the person behind the screen. After all, a faceless voice coming from the depths of cyberspace is a little impersonal, don’t you think?

As I mentioned previously, my name is Margaret Sport, and I am currently a freshman at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. I am originally from a small town in north-central New Jersey. Ever since I was a small child, I have been fascinated with the sky and the secrets it holds. As a toddler, my parents would take me outside at night so I could lift my hand and say hello to the moon. I would eagerly anticipate our family camping trips so I would be able to gaze at the stars without the unrelenting purple haze emitted by New York City crowding out all other light. As I have grown older, my enchantment with all things celestial has matured as well. I now find myself a reader of Carl Sagan, an avid watcher of NOVA, and an aspiring astrophysicist. That being said, picking a course as incredible as Life in the Universe for my freshman seminar was a no-brainer for me.

Of course, my interests are not solely otherworldly. During high school, I attended a career academy aimed at molding the health professionals of tomorrow. There, instead of drawing and painting, I took medical school courses along with my normal coursework. I am still very interested in becoming a physician and currently volunteer as an Emergency Medical Technician in my hometown. I play a variety of sports, from softball to horseback riding, and enjoy debate and playing classical piano. In college, I hope to study a multitude of subjects, such as Spanish, music, ethics, and biology (and, of course, astronomy and physics).

During these next two months of my life (CC operates on a unique “block” system where one immerses oneself in only one subject for a month at a time; LITU is a two-block class) I hope to gain knowledge in all subjects the class touches upon, particularly in geology, astronomy, and large scale physics. I hope to learn more about the origin of life in the universe and the possibility for other forms out there, as well as bond with those who share this interest with me.

Some subjects that particularly interest me are the overarching structure of the universe, which expands from solar systems and galaxies to supercluster complexes, or galaxy filaments, and the ongoing fight between matter and antimatter and the puzzles they pose in the universe.

I hope you will journey with me as I explore these and other topics. Till next time!