Why is science important?
“Happy is he who gets to know the reasons for things”. I wish this 2000 year-old statement from Virgil was enough to deal with the question that must plague teachers all over the world — “what’s the point of this?” But, as someone who’s just returned to the teaching profession after a seven-year break, I can assure you it’s not.
"2. Comment #398280 by HenryFord on July 20, 2009 at 4:08 pm
3. Comment #398295 by DalaiDrivel on July 20, 2009 at 6:28 pm
4. Comment #398305 by InfuriatedSciTeacher on July 20, 2009 at 7:57 pm
As an educator, I can speak to some of the reasons why the "how to get there" is ignored in favour of teaching the bare results, at least in American schools. Students are given a short period of time to master a wide variety of concepts, even in what should be fairly confined courses (biology, for example). As a result, teachers often cover a large amount of material with little or no depth beyond that required to pass whatever exam the state has set for the course, and this has become more widespread since Bush's NCLB act of 2002.5. Comment #398308 by kyleclements on July 20, 2009 at 8:50 pm
" I want it to demonstrate that science is ... as significant as that of music, art or literature..."6. Comment #398311 by Alternative Carpark on July 20, 2009 at 9:08 pm
7. Comment #398313 by Scep on July 20, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Science should be the base of our education system. It will lead to knowledge and transform into wisdom and this wisdom should guide our actions. Too many of us confuse wisdom with old traditional beliefs that have been given to us by pretending authorities. These old wisdoms are not based on evidence, truth and knowledge but on faith, tradition and authority. They have little value in today’s world. They even prevent us from realising the true natural miracle our existence really is.8. Comment #398314 by Alternative Carpark on July 20, 2009 at 9:44 pm
9. Comment #398321 by jonjermey on July 21, 2009 at 12:47 am
Let me play devil's advocate for a moment and argue that it is far more important to learn scientific method than to actually learn vast numbers of the facts that make up current science. Not because there is anything wrong with them but because we only retain what we use, and for most of us chemistry, biology and physics will never be used enough to make them memorable; like the differential calculus and the dates of King Henry III, they will fade rapidly away to the Internet, where they can be looked up if needed. By the time scientific facts get into school textbooks they are usually a couple of decades out of date anyway.10. Comment #398326 by Jos Gibbons on July 21, 2009 at 1:17 am
Did Adam-Hart Davis describe the MMR vaccine as a problem? I surely hope he didn't mean that! Maybe he meant MRSA ... At least such a strange mix-up isn't as bad as him being in the anti-MMR camp! I must admit, that bit worried me.11. Comment #398327 by hungarianelephant on July 21, 2009 at 1:40 am
Did Adam-Hart Davis describe the MMR vaccine as a problem?
12. Comment #398339 by Tyler Durden on July 21, 2009 at 3:18 am
13. Comment #398341 by John Locke on July 21, 2009 at 3:25 am
14. Comment #398351 by CaptainMandate on July 21, 2009 at 4:53 am
15. Comment #398353 by God fearing Atheist on July 21, 2009 at 5:20 am
14. #398351 by CaptainMandate
"of course all your ice cream is natural so it's good for you isn't it"
16. Comment #398354 by Jos Gibbons on July 21, 2009 at 5:23 am
Comment #398351 by CaptainMandate17. Comment #398355 by John Locke on July 21, 2009 at 5:24 am
18. Comment #398356 by CaptainMandate on July 21, 2009 at 5:25 am
19. Comment #398358 by John Locke on July 21, 2009 at 5:30 am
20. Comment #398360 by debaser71 on July 21, 2009 at 5:45 am
I don't think the problem is with schools or teachers...although, of course, there are some bad ones out there. The problem is that there are powerful forces out there with anti-science agendas.21. Comment #398363 by Shiva on July 21, 2009 at 6:14 am
22. Comment #398364 by friendlypig on July 21, 2009 at 6:18 am
23. Comment #398367 by Vanitas on July 21, 2009 at 7:04 am
24. Comment #398372 by hungarianelephant on July 21, 2009 at 7:14 am
25. Comment #398377 by John Locke on July 21, 2009 at 7:51 am
26. Comment #398378 by CaptainMandate on July 21, 2009 at 7:59 am
27. Comment #398407 by Lemniscate on July 21, 2009 at 9:53 am
28. Comment #398422 by Scep on July 21, 2009 at 10:23 am
jonjermey, you write:29. Comment #398466 by Steven Mading on July 21, 2009 at 12:18 pm
One of the depressing signs of lack of basic science knowledge: Packaging on "organic" (and I'll leave out the whole argument about what the hell THAT is supposed to mean) fruit juice that says in prominent lettering "Chemical Free!!".30. Comment #398486 by Jos Gibbons on July 21, 2009 at 1:37 pm
The video is available from www.vimeo.com/3531977 but,if you're not registered with Vimeo, the high-quality MP4 version they offer is unavailable. I'm settling for downloading an FLV from clipnabber.com. Does anyone know a way to do better quality-wise? If not, at least I've shared with you all a way to download this film.31. Comment #398572 by DalaiDrivel on July 21, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Scientific METHOD, however, can and should be applied every day. Add in some logic and a selection of exposed fallacies, and you have a solid course in critical thinking which can and should be compulsory for all children before their thirteenth birthday.
- but to a casual observer coffee is healthy one minute, unhealthy the next - so people dont trust science.
32. Comment #398631 by CaptainMandate on July 22, 2009 at 1:52 am
33. Comment #398667 by John Locke on July 22, 2009 at 4:49 am
34. Comment #398996 by CaptainMandate on July 23, 2009 at 3:15 am
35. Comment #399030 by Anaximander on July 23, 2009 at 4:33 am
*The media presents what the public wants concerning science, reinforcing that the public really doesn't want to know much concerning science, or what it really is.*36. Comment #400033 by DalaiDrivel on July 28, 2009 at 1:09 am
37. Comment #400574 by Jesus86 on July 29, 2009 at 10:04 pm
As I have been saying on this site for a while now, science is important so that we don't fall for stupidity like AGW. See:
1. Comment #398279 by Dhamma on July 20, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I remember myself constantly asking my teachers why we had to learn this or that, and I never got good answers, so this project may help them.
Really, it's annoying how stupid some teachers are. Every time we were taught how to do something in e.g. maths and you asked why it was done in a certain way, you always got the answer "don't ask, just do". So I really think I wasn't taught the mechanisms behind the techniques, which is really sad.
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