Science Under Attack

It’s the birthday of physicist Richard Feynman, a gentleman who left us many important breakthroughs in quantum mechanics and electrodynamics,  but is best remembered for his personable character and warmth, and his belief that science is a thing of beauty. According to the Writer’s Almanac, “He had fun doing (his inquiries). It frustrated him that so few laypeople shared his wonder in science.”  My favorite quote: Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.

Lord knows what he’d be thinking if he were alive today.  On top of our loss of wonder,  we’ve heaped an active repulsion for the subject. Very few Americans can name a single living scientist, and 49% of Americans disbelieve the theory of evolution.  Worse yet is our overriding belief that this group’s work is driven by  some horrific,  anti-capitalist political agenda, and thus their findings should be ignored.

This is one of the many reasons that ours is a scary time in which to live.