Why we need to understand science by Sagan
Science is essential not only to scientists and those interested in science but to every person. Almost every citizen requires base-level science to engage in national matters. Without the knowledge of science, we cannot respond intelligently to personal and public issues. According to carl Sagan in his article “why we need to understand science,” he depicts how 94% of Americans are scientifically illiterate. According to him, America has the most gifted and intelligent people in science, but that passion has not been requinted. When children are young, let’s say those at the kindergarten and first grade, they are usually enthusiastic about learning science. This, however, changes as the child advances academically. By twelfth grade, they lack interest in learning. This is mostly attributed to the fact that most of them don’t realize the importance of learning science. When they first graduate from high school, they mostly occupy the service jobs and later to the industry when their careers advance. This is why most people in America are confused and do not understand the difference between real science and pseudoscience. According to Sagan, ignoring science will threaten the economic wellbeing, security, and the democratic process of a country. It is, therefore, necessary that the state come up with measures of promoting science learning. Science influences the political, security, and the democratic sectors of a country.
Many people confuse between real science and pseudoscience. There is, however, no clear line between the extremities of actual and pseudoscience. This is because legitimate science times contain features of pseudoscience. Pseudoscience refers to beliefs and practices that claim to be scientific but lack the practical experimental nature or proof. Real science, on the other side, may contain pseudoscience features, but it has been proven to be true. According to Sagan, there is no more straightforward explanation, and the evidence for pseudoscience is crummy. Sagan terms it as a cheap imitation of real science. In the article, when sagans driver keeps asking him questions that he terms it is scientific, he realizes that what the driver knows is was not legitimate science. The driver wanted to know how one can understand what’s in the mind of a dead person. Sagan went ahead to cite some of the legitimate sciences like tenous gases that sit between the stars.
According to Sagan, the reason people confuse the two is because of the lack of passion for science. Even though there are many gifted and intelligent Americans in science, their passion has not been requinted. People do not see the importance of studying science. Students now days lack interest in learning science. This is because many believe that they do not earn money with the knowledge of science. That is why most of them go for alternatives that can make them earn money easily.
Additionally, after high school, most people are employed in service jobs only to focus on the industry later in life. This worsens the situation because it makes them not to see where they can apply the science that they are being taught. Ignorance, illiteracy, and lack of interest in science are the main reasons why people confuse real science from pseudoscience.
If people do not understand the difference between real and pseudoscience, it will affect both the individual and society. To understand the changing climate, science is very important. We are not going to find the solution to the problem of global warming, acid rains, and even radio waves without scientific knowledge. Similarly, these problems directly affect the health of people. Apart from that, the economy of a country will deteriorate if we are not in a position to produce quality products at a lower price. Organizations will move their businesses to other countries with a better business environment. Without knowing science, it is difficult to find solutions to problems when we do not understand the underlying issues. The health sector, for instance, is a victim of a lack of scientific knowledge. New infections are emerging daily, and experts need scientific knowledge to find a cure for diseases. Over the past years, HIV, cancers, and other infections, including the most recent covid 19, have been affecting most citizens in the United States, and it is only scientific knowledge that can save the citizens from death. Lack of science has also lead to a massive reduction of weapons; the military needs high-quality weapons to protect the country; therefore, with a lack of scientific knowledge, that cannot be possible.
The solution to the problem of science is with the people of America; they need to implement it. According to Sagan, most people with a better view of science are usually white males and not women. The black and Hispanic women, however, have better knowledge than those of white women. It therefore important that black women are treated fairly and not discriminated against to save science. Apart from that, it has also been noted that African American children do better in science than whites. The biggest challenge is that most of them are poorly educated and not motivate d to; learn. Therefore, such children with potential must be natured to build on their scientific knowledge, thus ultimately saving the country. Apart from that, the state should be sure to invest in science. Science technicians have a good salary; the government should also offer scholarships for children to study science and make laboratory science courses mandatory for every graduate. An academic scientist should similarly be encouraged to use social media platforms, including televisions and newspapers, to educate people on science. Coming up with scientific projects for people to be involved in is very important. Parents have been known to negatively affect science learning by shying away from children’s questions. Adults must encourage and provide equipment for their children to learn science.
I agree with Sagan’s argument. Science is more of how someone thinks; it influences our daily judgments. It is only through understanding the underlying cause of an issue that we are going to find a solution to the problem. Science is consequently the background of every problem, dealing with facts that cannot be changed. Understanding the difference between real science and pseudoscience prevents us from clouding our judgments with cheap imitations. Also, science has an impact on various impacts on the social, economic, and political sectors of a country. Without scientific knowledge, the areas will be negatively affected by levels that the country may not be able to salvage. It is, therefore, necessary that the problem is prevented to avoid incurring costs in solving it. This can only be done by educating the public on the importance of science and putting up measures that encourage scientific learning. More importantly, science is the way of life; without it, everything goes wrong.