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Science and society

Enviado el domingo, 17 de septiembre de 2006 7:12

In October, 1632, Galileo Galillei  was  forced to abjure of his physical theories. But the benefit for the humanity was already done. After Galileo the human beings  were free to doubt everything that was said to them, everything that was forced into their minds. After Galileo, every affirmation of -any- human being, be him a pope or any other authority,  could be subjected to the test of experiment. Finished was “it is so, because it is I who says it”.

 

Galileo founded science. Science is the human endeavour that allows every person to look for him- or herself  after the truth in the world, without having to rely on affirmations pronouced by others.

 

Each one of us is free to subject any affirmation to the very strong test of experiment.  If I say that two balls, of exactly the same diameter and very similar surface texture, left to fall from a balcony at the same time, arrive at the same time at the street below, although one of them weighs 10 times more than the other, nobody is forced to believe me: Everyone can perform the same experiment for herself.  If I say that the acceleration of any object in free fall at the Earth surface is 9.81 m/s², nobody has to believe me, but every one can test my affirmation.

 

If I say that by praying to some saint figure in a cave in the mountains I am able to cure cancer in human beings, everybody in the world can test my affirmation.  If I say that I see ghosts, everyone in the world can test what I say.

 

But human society, freed by science of being forced to follow the words of anyone that proclames that she is in possesion of the truth, continues to lower their necks to the yoke, just by being afraid, or too lazy,  to think by themselves.  Hundreds of thousands congregate in places around the world to be told what to believe, or to protest in mass what other persons have said.

 

After having tried the sweet taste of freedom, many a person chooses however  to follow blindly what others say instead of  what he can test by himself.

 

When science opens all the world to the mind of everyone, -of everyone-, why are so many afraid of taking the challenge? Why to follow blindly  when you can discover the world, and doubt it, by yourself?


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Comentarios

# re: Science and society

19/09/2006 17:10 por Cristina
I guess it's just a question of having the necessary intelectual capacity and training.

It's is clear that, although we should be all born with the same fundamental (human) rigths, we are not all identical. It's a common error to believe that all humans have evolved in the same way, just because we all have (or should have) the same rigths.

Apart from some exceptional individuals seeking for improvement and personal growth, most people is much more focussed on the day-to-day life without questioning the world around them, or even analyse their own actions. Others commit the worse attrocities without thinking twice, or justify themselfs through a closed and distorted interpretation of reality.

Any fanatic, any lunatic and any tyrant has his own hordes following instructions. Often, the same people that fervently follows those commands, without thinking about their consequences, are the less intelligent among humans. The ones that need the support of a group and the humilliation of others to feel strong and important. Those that are not capable of achieving success through their own merits and effort.

However, in most cases the deepest root of the problem is the lack of knowledge and training in being critical, in questioning actions and thoughts.

Ignorance can be a powerful weapon to manipulate the masses.

For that reason, a good EDUCATION is such a fundamental pillar in society. I was shocked by the bad results of our young people at school that have been recently tested and published. It's worrying.

We should be putting so much effort to learn our children to think by themselfs and to analyse the world with an objective and open mind, just as scientists do. Without neglecting our human values and creativity, on the other hand.

The children of today are the society of tomorrow.
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