September 12, 2011
Why I Like Science
Without science, we wouldn't know that prehistoric creatures, like this short-necked plesiosaur (at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum) were real (courtesy of flickr user owillis)
Science is under siege these days. Some politicians proudly proclaim that evolution is just a theory and that climate change is a conspiracy among scientists. Health gurus advocate homeopathy or “natural” remedies rather than modern medicine. Parents ignore the advice of doctors and experts and refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases. People who are quite happy to reap the benefits of science—new medical treatments, for example, or sci-fi-like technological devices—advocate for schools to teach religion in science class.
And so I think it’s time for the rest of us to speak up. Let’s explain what it is about science that satisfies us, how science improves our world and why it’s better than superstition. To that end, I’m starting a new series here on Surprising Science: Why I Like Science. In coming months, I’ll ask scientists, writers, musicians and others to weigh in on the topic. And I’m also asking you, the readers, why you like science. If you’d like to participate, send a 200- to 500-word essay to WhyILikeScience@gmail.com; I’ll publish the best.
And to start us off, here’s why I like science:
When we are little, we ask “why.” “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do balls fall down and not up?” “Why can’t my fish live outside water?” Good parents root their answers in science. The sky is blue due to the way light is scattered in the atmosphere. Balls fall down because of gravity. Your fish doesn’t have lungs, and gills only work in water.
But science doesn’t just give us answers to the why’s of our childhoods; it gives us the tools we need to keep answering them as we grow up.
Science is the tool I use to understand the world around me. It provides logic and sense and order in what might otherwise seem chaotic. And though the answer to the why’s of my adulthood may sometimes be “we don’t know,” it’s really just “we don’t know yet”—the answer will eventually be found, with science.
And then there’s the act of finding those answers, putting the methods of science into action, that I find more fascinating than any bit of fiction. There are astronomers who use telescopes to peer back in time. Biologists who discover new species in both familiar and faraway places and struggle to figure out how to save others from extinction. Even a non-scientist sitting at a computer can help to solve molecular structures, hunt for planets or decipher ancient Egyptian texts during lunch break. Science is often, simply, fun.
Science is also the light that keeps us out of the dark ages. It may not solve all of our problems, but it usually shows us the path to the solutions. And the more we know, the more questions we find. It’s a never-ending search for answers that will continue for as long as the human race exists. And guaranteed satisfaction for the little girl inside me, the one that still asks “why.”
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[...] Why I Like ScienceSmithsonian (blog)Health gurus advocate homeopathy or “natural” remedies rather than modern medicine. Parents ignore the advice of doctors and experts and refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases. People who are quite happy to reap the benefits of … [...]
Science is the partner of Art. There is an inherent beauty in the mathematical progression of an arpeggio, the molecular structure of a graphene molecule, and the resident harmony of a finely tuned Formula One engine at full throttle.
Science is also the quest for truth. While I may not be the most skeptical of persons, I marvel at our capacity to continually ask the question, “Why?” and to seek the answers existing at the edges of the universe, and deep within ourselves because, “Just because.” is not a good enough answer.
Science is tragic. Masterpieces from forgotten civilizations are ravaged by time, elements, and human vanity. Countless lab hours are spent in search for a medical cure that is still yet unknown. Viruses decimate invaluable data on a global scale, and scores of people braver than I gave everything they could in the name of science.
Science is sexy. We all dream of having that one, “EUREKA!” moment, when it all comes together, works like it should, and validates the countless hours of research. Sure, it’s simply a behavioral reaction caused by adrenaline and dopamine, but isn’t that what it’s all about?
I love finding out how things work. I have always loved science even as a kid. Still today I try to encourage my kids to ask the questions and to search for the answers rather than just tell em. Something as simple as pouring water into a jar and dropping a plastic toy in it shows them “science” using water for a magnifyer. They enjoy and it and find that it is fun and not boring.
I taught elementary school, various grades, for 27 years and used science in different core subjects. Any reluctant reader can be turned on with science books. Even a first grader will work at reading a science book. Teaching research skills is motivating if the topic is in the sciences. Kids have such a curiosity that can be fostered by having them study science, plus, it helps them to find their own answers and keep the learning need alive. I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing my former students going into science in college.
I like science because I have a fat lip. First – what behavior led me to incur this fat lip? then What reaction did I have? third why is it a fat lip and what shall I do about it?
Cheers.
[...] Why I Like ScienceSmithsonian (blog)Health gurus advocate homeopathy or “natural” remedies rather than modern medicine. Parents ignore the advice of doctors and experts and refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases. People who are quite happy to reap the benefits of … [...]
I like science because of Carl Sagan, i suck at math, maybe thats because education in México sucks or maybe because i’m actually bad. still im suscribed to a lot of science web pages, i love science even if i suck at it, thats why i wish i could work as a science communicator, like Sagan…
I like science because of the self-correcting nature of the true sciences. How nice it would be if politicians had this ability and could learn from previous experience.
Since it would take me more than 500 words to describe my passionate love affair with science, I will simply quote Mr. Sagan – “I don’t want to believe, I want to know”. Science is Truth.
I like science because it never fails to make the world a more interesting place. The answers science offers increase my engagement; they never shut it down.
Science is the way we learn new and cool stuff all the time. “To what degree are we related to Neandertals?” You can only learn that via science.
What we know (vs “believe” — thank you, Cathy W!), and how we came to know it? Science, science, and, also, science.
I like science too. But I also know that religion is important in my life, and the two of them are two pathways to the truth. One of them explains the why of why something was created or occurred. The other explains the how, or the process of how something was created or occurred. Every time I look at the universe, I see it through two eyes, and am totally shocked, amazed, and filled with awe every time I think of how it was created, and why it was created. I cannot deny the existence of God, nor can I deny the fact that the laws of nature and science are true (to the best of our knowledge).
May I also point out that some of the greatest advancements in science have come under patronage from religion. Under the influence of Islam, remember how a Golden Age of Science occurred that led to our Renaissance. Remember Francis Bacon, and other “men of the cloth” that added to the breadth and depth of our knowledge.
Do not tell me that all religions are bad to the addition of science, nor tell me that science is bad for all religion. They are two symbiotic things that when they work together, the purity of truth comes out to all who will listen.
When I was a kid and TV sets still left the factory crammed with vacuum tubes, I could take a set apart and successfully put it back together. It was an adventure learning how it all worked but, more importantly, why. How cool is that? I never lost the nebbiness, just migrated to the newest technology on the planet: I love my laptop, and I know how and why it works, and I can repair your computer when it is ailing, and make a living at it, without ever having to leave my small hometown. I need to know. The knowing makes you less malleable and motivated by fear of the different.
[...] you’d like to participate in our Why I Like Science series, send a 200- to 500-word essay to WhyILikeScience@gmail.com; I’ll publish the best [...]
I love that science is ruled by the proveable. I hate when science is co-opted by people with an agenda or ego-protected zone and new information is discounted based on who presents it, e.g. DNA research not being “real” until two men took the decades of work of a woman who couldn’t get recognition and made it “legit”. I love when science answers questions I didn’t think to ask! I love when a telescope or space probe is named for early astronomers on whose shoulders they stand. I love that science can answer “don’t know, YET” and not fall back on made-up answers that say it’s in God’s hands! When religion knows its place in our hearts and doesn’t try to explain the unknown and then force belief with violence and inhuman torture, the symbiosis is real, Lightning Shock. Cathy W, you’re so right, and the perfect person to quote! Science is showing us the real miracles and frightening fragility in which we exist, and we must see the really big picture of it. The universe’s big picture should humble us all, and science gives us the opportunity to see it. Thank you, thank you, thank you for that, scientists present and past, and future.
[...] Why I Like Science By Sarah Zielinski on Smithsonian’s Surprising Science Science is under siege these days. Some politicians proudly proclaim that evolution is just a theory and that climate change is a conspiracy among scientists. Health gurus advocate homeopathy or “natural” remedies rather than modern medicine. Parents ignore the advice of doctors and experts and refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases. People who are quite happy to reap the benefits of science—new medical treatments, for example, or sci-fi-like technological devices—advocate for schools to teach religion in science class. [...]
[...] weeks ago I asked readers to weigh in on why they like science. Two submissions caught my eye. This first essay is from a [...]
[...] Why I Like Science By Sarah Zielinski on Smithsonian’s Surprising Science Science is under siege these days. Some politicians proudly proclaim that evolution is just a theory and that climate change is a conspiracy among scientists. Health gurus advocate homeopathy or “natural” remedies rather than modern medicine. Parents ignore the advice of doctors and experts and refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases. People who are quite happy to reap the benefits of science—new medical treatments, for example, or sci-fi-like technological devices—advocate for schools to teach religion in science class. [...]