Why Bother With Science?

Science is everywhere. It is in the food you eat and the car you drive, the clothes on your back and the phone at your ear. As this blog’s title suggests, it is all science.

But scientists do all the science in your food and cars, so why should you bother with science? Modern day society is faced with many issues. Just think about global warming, the energy crisis, recessions, poverty, not to mention all the health-risks around the world and the worrying rise of antibiotic resistance.

None of these problems has a straight-forward solution. It’s not a case of throwing heaps of money at those in poverty, nor can we just develop new antibiotics. The core of any solution is going to involve science. It makes sense, therefore, to be involved with science. Obviously, we can’t all get degrees in a science, but we can inform ourselves. When politicians make decisions (hopefully with advice from scientists), you want to be in a position to understand why that decision has been made. Does it make sense? What reasoning do they give? Is there evidence to back it up? How did they arrive at the decision? Understanding science will help you to answer those important questions.

That leads on to perhaps biggest reason to bother with science. Curiosity. Science allows us to ask questions and find the answer. We look up at the night sky and see hundreds of stars glistening back at us. Everybody at some point will have asked ‘how many are there?’ Let that curiosity drive learning. The quest for the answer is often as satisfying as the answer itself. In fact, you could take a break now and find the answer to that question! Post in the comments if you do.

Curiosity is one of the most basic human attributes. We thrive on understanding the world around us. We are driven by the quest for knowledge. Science is interesting. Science is satisfying. We should embrace our inner curiosity and have the courage to ask ‘why?’, for only then will we get answers.

Aaron Klug, a chemist and biophysicist, once said:

Human curiosity, the urge to know, is a powerful force and is perhaps the best secret weapon of all the struggle to unravel the workings of the natural world.

Many people question whether seeking knowledge for the sake of knowledge is worthwhile? I think they are missing the point. Science is not always about the answer. So what if the LHC found the Higgs Boson? some people ask. OK, the discovery is not going to impact your day-to-day life ... at the moment. Who knows what future generations will do with that knowledge? But also think about the technology required to find the Higgs. In building the LHC and searching for sub-atomic particles there have been massive advancements in computing (which will cascade down to improvements to your computer), large-scale international project management (which can help with international relations), building large underground structures (which could improve building tunnels, sewers, pipelines, etc...), magnet cooling (which can be used to improve MRI machines), and a whole raft of other technologies. These developments may have eventually arrived by more conventional means, but a project such as the LHC accelerates (pardon the pun) development, and that can only be a good thing. That's not to mention the number of people projects like these employ from across the world in a variety of sectors.

"CMS Higgs-event" by Lucas Taylor - http://cdsweb.cern.ch/record/628469.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

This blog will both satisfy (and whet) your curiosity and equip you with the scientific understanding so vitally important in modern day society.

Why do you think we should bother with science? What really whets your curiosity? Let me know in the comments below. You can share this post using the social media options along the left side, and follow us using the buttons at the top right.

And remember it is all science, so let's be curious.