Science Matters

by Damon Gambuto     Department: Science & Society

I awoke this morning to find my Sunday ritual of nursing my hangover with a cup of coffee while perusing The New York Times enlivened by a lovely Op-Ed about the role of science in society. 

The opinion piece in question was written by Brian Greene.  You've probably run across him in one medium or another.  He wrote the best selling (and very accessible) book THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE (which was turned into a NOVA documentary) and often appears on television shows discussing his discipline (physics) or science generally.  He is one of the few 'crossover celebrities' that the scientific community has delivered to pop culture.  He can be a bit earnest for my taste, but I like that he tries so hard to communicate why society should concern itself with science and scientific understanding. 

This piece he wrote for the NYTimes today is a good example (references to soldiers in Iraq notwithstanding) of his commitment to giving voice to 'the cause'.  Below is an excerpt, but I encourage you to read the full article here.  I'm going to encourage myself to not get back into bed.

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.

Tags: Brian Greeene, New York Times, Op-Ed, physics, science