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Why is learning about science beyond the boundaries necessary and important?
A set of quotes about science from a range of public figures.
© University of York
The quotations below relate to ‘science beyond the boundaries’ in different ways.
Which statement resonates with you?
Science provides an understanding of a universal experience. Arts provide a universal understanding of a personal experience.
Mae Jemison: Engineer, medical doctor and former NASA astronaut.
Some of the most exciting areas of science and technology involve various disciplines coming together, not only from different areas of natural science and mathematics, but also from the social sciences and humanities. A broad training at an early stage will best prepare us to develop and use skills to tackle entirely new fields.
Venki Ramakrishnan: Structural biologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Precepts such as ‘science is neutral’ or ‘science has nothing to do with politics’ still prevail. They are remnants of the ivory tower mentality, although the ivory tower mentality was finally demolished by the Hiroshima bomb.
Joseph Rotblat: Physicist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.
Albert Einstein: Physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Philosophy of science is about as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds.
Richard Feynman: Physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.
Rosalind Franklin: Chemist whose work was central to the discovery of the structure of DNA.
Scientists can depict the problems that will affect the environment based on available evidence, but their solution is not the responsibility of scientists, but of society as a whole.
Mario Molina: Meteorologist.
The universe is made of stories, not atoms.
Muriel Rukeyser: Poet and political activist.
All scientists, regardless of discipline, need to be prepared to confront the broadest consequences of our work.
Jennifer A Doudna: Biochemist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Those of us who wish to defend science from ideologically and economically interested attacks must be not only willing and able to explain the basis of our trust in science, but also to understand and articulate its limits. This means coming clean about the various ways in which things can go wrong.
Naomi Oreskes: Historian of science and environmentalist.
Over to you
- Pick one of the statements about which you have a strong opinion. This might be one you strongly agree with, or one you strongly disagree with.
- What are the reasons why you chose this quotation?
Please share your thoughts with fellow learners in the Comments.
© University of York
This article is from the online course:
STEM Teaching: Teaching Science Beyond The Boundaries
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This article is from the free online
STEM Teaching: Teaching Science Beyond The Boundaries
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