Science as a Framework of Thought for Society

by Ronald Michael Quijano

Science seems to be passive to most learners when it comes to its utility in leadership. The current curriculum seems to limit its scope in technical means. The wisdom and process of science is an enormous analogy of a healthy way of thinking, not just effective in its own field but also to society. Simply look at how our community is fashioned. It is clear that the majority of leaders and citizens hunger for authority but never wisdom. Opinionated but not informed. Powerful but not competent. We became short-sighted for everything we do. Our interests became limited to whatever satisfies our self-indulgence, on things that will give us more power, and on the matters that continuously make ourselves feel so special. It is evident to the current COVID-19 pandemic that the majority of our leaders do not listen to science. Their concern is not after the truth but after their image and self-worth. Science must promote its way of thinking. 

In the Philippines, people are very religious and sensitive – and that’s one problem I usually encounter from day to day basis when teaching science. They reject evidence because it opposes their existing dogmas. And I can't fathom those educators of science who mix faith with education. Imagine teaching the students the immense amount of time it takes for the universe to be where it is, and what it is right now, at the same time endorsing a belief that the universe was created in just 7 days. Imagine teaching students about conservation of energy, mass, and momentum, at the same time defending a belief in the supernatural. Imagine teaching students the concept of evolution by natural selection at the same time upholding a belief that we – humans – were created apart from animals. And the list continues. This science we are talking about is effective enough to be considered hostile to their beliefs. This beautiful scientific method was made possible by generations of searchers strictly adhering to a simple set of rules; Test ideas by experiment and observation. Establish on those ideas that pass the tests. Reject the ones that fail. Follow the evidence wherever it leads and question everything.

I uphold that religion should remain in the private sector of our lives. Its awe and wonder are extensive to subjective spirituality. It’s contributions to literature, arts, and morality are undeniable. However, if we allow religion as a “tool” to explain the phenomenon around us and solve problems. it contradicts the scientific method. In science, we hypothesize, we test, we observe, and we avoid prejudices. In the scientific community, we are humble enough to reserve our judgments and accept whatever the universe has to tell and offer us. Most students I encountered are very desperate to link faith and science. Don’t get me wrong, Science is so far an effective tool to logically seek empirical answers, and it has no concern about disproving beliefs.

Educational institutions - even those under religious sectors - must promote critical thinking. The teachers and the students must freely share information and convey criticism,  to widen the room for new learnings. Students and teachers must learn to listen and understand, and make critical evaluations. Both must be encouraged to explore different viewpoints, but also to be critical to that new information.  In the classroom, things don’t usually go as planned. However informative your lessons are, if you have the wrong tools to deliver, it won’t be effective.  

-Integrate subjects for the students to have a wide range of tools for effective decision-making. 

-Urge them to be the same critical readers and writers they are in their language subjects. 

-Help them to use the same skepticism they use in their science subjects in assessing information. 

-Assist them in enhancing the same problem-solving skills they use in their math subjects.

-Lastly, inspire them to use the same open-mindedness they have in their social science subjects to deal with foreign information. 

I strongly consider integration as one thing every Filipino teacher must learn. In every lesson, make it as relevant as possible to the lives of the students. If they don’t know its utility, they won’t appreciate it, and they won’t remember it, then they can’t share it.

I love to educate, inside and outside the classroom. I love to engage with different viewpoints and criticism, even to my own family members. But in my experience, they are very sensitive in welcoming new information because of their traditional ones. Ignorance combined with arrogance is a recipe for a disaster. The tomorrow of our fate is determined by our wisdom or stupidity. Apparently, this current pandemic has shown us that the leaders of our nation have more power but are unaware of science. Science is a very interesting and useful subject. Apart from science practitioners, we as educators are responsible for making science more interesting. Educators must have the ability to communicate effectively. The public's huge interest in science - especially astronomy - is proved by the vast audiences for television series such as "Cosmos" and other science fiction. This enthusiasm must be addressed inside the classroom. Most students often become elusive when presented with equations - even I. One might argue that equations are a concise and accurate way of describing mathematical ideas. In science, we need to express our ideas in the form of equations because we need to know the precise values of quantities. But for the rest of us, a qualitative grip of scientific ideas is adequate, and this can be communicated by words and diagrams without the use of equations. 

The strategy of the Pinoy classic TV series "Sineskwela" is an effective one. Sadly, educational programs like that continue to lessen over time. It is evident to the young generation that their focus is now diverted to the vloggers who mostly offer mindless content. Another thing to look at is those known science popularizers in our history. They do not just sit idle in their offices - from Bill Nye to Brian Greene, from Lawrence Krauss to Richard Dawkins, from Carl Sagan to Neil deGrasse Tyson, and even our very own Kuya Kim Atienza - they do not just practice science, they also communicate. Everyone has something to improve. Weakness is certain to every species there is, and that’s how evolution works, by overcoming weaknesses.  Improving ourselves is like exploring new places and overcoming limits. We were wanderers from the very beginning. We thought our boundaries are the things we already see. It turns out, we just need to learn continuously.

Science is not just a subject, but a way of thinking. Science entails humility by letting us see our position in this vast universe. Neil deGrasse Tyson says “A funny thing about us; we think we are the story. We are the end-all and be all of the cosmos. Yet, for all we know, we are just a byproduct of geochemical forces. Ones that are unfolded throughout the universe.” Without science, our egocentrism surely destroyed us a long time ago. Without science, we won't realize the importance of every aspect of our biosphere. Without science, we won't realize that we are investing in the wrong things. But some say that science is bad, it creates weapons of mass destruction.  No, science is just a tool. And just like any other tool, we have misused it to accommodate our hunger for dominance. Destruction is the combustible product of ignorance and power. That’s why we need more educators in science. Science is not restricted to any nation or ethnic group, and that’s one beauty of it.

Understanding science is not that hard, and it is more important than sports and stock market analysis. What's the point of science foretelling destruction if we are just going to wait for it? If only we are listening to what science is saying at heart. If only we are far-seeing. Our concept of success and progress is contained in an insignificant value of time. We love to think of ourselves as victorious when we built empires of profits. That's why I dream to educate. That's why I dream to share. Sometimes, your dreams die with you. Or, it takes someone, ahead of your generation, to pick it up and bring it to life. That's why dreams are worth sharing.

Teach.