Science has been under assault lately. Political actions have cut off the air supply. Media relay filters have put science and non-science on a level playing field and given equal access to each– all the while maintaining the appearance of “objectivity.”
I attended a member preview of a revolutionary act today. The California Academy of Sciences, located in Golden Gate Park, will officially open this coming Saturday. At the preview, thousands greeted a presentation of scientific learning.
Science has been underground, hiding from those who might do it harm. There were a couple of things that were important takeaways.
Children love science. The faces and voices of children filled the halls. A thousand scientists were created today.
Science is now about context and ecosystems. It’s about the connections within a network. The cheese doesn’t stand alone.
Everything is connected and everything evolves. Two of the primary shows feature: Evolution in Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands; and Climate Change and how animals will have to adapt. Science and simultaneously a form of political science.
Science comes out of the darkness and gloriously into the light. Let us each keep a candle lit to provide enough light for our children to experience the wonder of the scientific world.
I'm not anti-religion, but I do support a proper separation of concerns. Science shouldn't meddle in religion, and vice versa. Politics shouldn't meddle in either. And science should be allowed to flower and shine in the open. Our children should be encouraged to embrace the great scientific challenges ahead of us.
As the parent of a 2-year-old, I've been doing all I can to give him opportunities to explore the world around him. Growing up in Texas, he will undoubtedly have to swim upstream in order to get a good science education, but I intend to have his back the whole way. In our house, the distinction between science and religion will be very clear, and if he's not getting enough detail at school, there will be plenty of supplemental material on our bookshelves.
The fight has already begun. Just this week he pretended to make himself lunch, and said a prayer, something we never do at our house. It is a major factor in why we're switching daycares.
The godbags have been terrified of the advance of reason for two hundred years. Yet they utilize the fruits of scientific study to further their own ends. They have websites, call each other on cell phones, sit in air conditioned churches, and use ground-penetrating radar to excavate the Holy Land. Then they freak out when someone suggests causes for events that are not “God did it.”
And yet I know Christians who understand the difference between faith and reason, and who are unthreatened by an increased awareness of the workings of our universe. I just wish there were more of them.