ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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OK, I know that ASTC is (and definitely should be!) non-partisan, so forgive
me if a little seeps in as I mount my soapbox. And I promise it'll have
something to do with science centers...

 

OK, so there's an excellent op-ed piece in this week's Newsweek by Jonathon
Alter, called "The Price of Loyalty". If you're a fan of the Bush
administration, you won't like it. Alter's basic premise: Bush and a handful
of advisers settled on certain premises (Iraq had WMD, the Iraq war would be
quick, easy and cheap). Anyone who challenged these assertions was cut out
of the loop (ie Colin Powell), fired and/or punished (Joseph Wilson, whose
wife was the outed CIA agent behind the current indictment of Scooter
Libby). The administration valued loyalty and ability to agree more than
anything, Alter writes, and never even considered things like worst case
scenarios/potential downsides of the Iraq war.

 

OK, that was a lot of politics. What's it got to do with us? Here's what:

 

We talk a lot about the importance of teaching the scientific method, not
just the end results (the factoids) of science. Well, Alter's piece is a
good example of why. Bush has basically made the ultimate example of
Argument from Authority/Assuming the Conclusion. We all know that in
science, an idea must be tested, challenged and debated before it can be
deemed correct. If I have a theory that explains data, and you propose an
alternate one, you're not betraying me, you're just doing good science. In
fact your helping me; if your theory is right, at least I'm not laboring
under a false assumption. If further investigation shows that I was right,
trying to test our competing ideas has made my case even stronger. (Now I
have even more data supporting it.)

 

This doesn't just work for science, it clearly applies in politics, too. And
in business. And with personal issues. And...

 

A lot of times, we (science centers, that is) emphasize how we're helping
train the scientists of the future, how we'll help meet the economy's need
for future engineers, doctors etc. There's nothing wrong with that - it is
indeed one of our raisons de etre, and it certainly makes it easier to get
$$$ from local businesses.

 

But I worry when too much emphasis is placed on this reasoning, because it
implies that professional scientists need to know science, others don't. And
even if you manage a Starbucks, the Alter piece shows clearly that knowing
the scientific method is important. Or if you're the president.

 

Sorry for the rant - these things have come up recently hereabouts. It
wasn't nearly as cool as that pink dots illusion. (Thanks, Rachel!)

 

Jonah Cohen

Outreach & Public Programs Manager

Science Center of Connecticut

 

"On blind faith they place reliance,

what we need more of is science"

           -MC Hawking

 


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