As technology advances and more discoveries are made the world population must have a level of scientific literacy. The lay person must at minimum a basic understanding of biology, astronomy, chemistry, and mathematics. Humanity through the power of computer science has more access to information than ever before. This requires certain skills people must obtain to decipher enormous amounts of information. Science and its method of verification can contribute to the full understanding of the world.Such methods are essential to critical thinking skills and aid in a less credulous public. The post-industrial society has become more knowledge based. Mastery and comprehension of science has almost become a requirement. This is not only important to economics, nation-states, but to the very quality of civilization itself. When a society becomes philistine it will cease to grow or prosper. Religious fundamentalism, superstition, and irrationality are the symbols of a rapidly declining civilization. The global population must must have a strong comprehension of the sciences. Reading and writing levels are used as measurements in geographic data in terms of educational attainment in various nations of the world. Scientific literacy should be a part of such data. Having such knowledge can prevent various problems. Learning about science can provide a guideline for reasoned thought. It can prevent manipulation of the public by giving them the skills and tools to question information presented to them. Scientific knowledge can even be applied to daily life. There still is a vast portion of the public that rejects science, even though they are living in a technology based world. Science can have a positive effect on society as long as it does not become dogmatic. Scientism should not be a replacement for the monotheism that is prevalent around the globe. The goal should be for the whole of the world to embrace knowledge and discovery.
The scientific method at its core is a technique of fact verification. Too often opinion, ideology, and fact are confused with one another. Facts can be proven with evidence. The scientific method uses observation, experimentation, and data collection to produce facts. During this process it must have the ability to be reproduced. If experiments cannot be replicated then a proposed hypothesis is just a mere theory. The scientific method uses an immense amount of critical thinking. Applying such a technique is helpful in a society in which mass amounts of information is available. The information a person consumes may not always be entirely accurate. There needs to be a means of deciphering large amounts of information when it is constantly flowing. The most important aspect of the scientific method is that experiments can be replicated to produce the same results. Whenever a study is released claiming a particular position, the observer should utilize these techniques to question what is being presented. Statistics can often be used to confirm a bias, however when examined fully another element can be presented. Science can be to a degree a type of investigation. A person almost takes on a role of detective when discovering the attributes of the natural world and existence. Fact verification has become more important now with multiple sources of information active on a consistent basis. The scientific method can provide a basic blueprint for avoiding confusion about the nature of the world.
Science has relevance to human experience on both a personal and society wide level. Biomedical science and health are important to many populations. Biology, anatomy, and physiology explain the attributes of the human body. The human population is now living longer than ever before. The public must have a strong understanding of anatomy, biology, and physiology for the sake of maintaining optimum health. Besides personal choice , genetics, and environment health can be effected by a lack of knowledge. If one was never educated about the function and nature of the human body it would be difficult to maintain good health. Learning about nutrition, diet, and general health science can improve public health and quality of life. Often when patients visit a doctor they may have a difficult time describing a certain aliment. Doctors are left either guessing what a disease or medical condition is because a person may have difficulty describing it in specific terms. Having the knowledge of biomedical science could assist with improvement to individual and public health. Scientific knowledge can also help protect against medical malpractice. There are many drugs that are sold to the public that have adverse side effects. Many doctors prescribe them knowing the side effects. Unless a patient has some knowledge about drugs on the the market, they could be vulnerable to such malpractice. Governments often fail to protect citizens from pharmaceutical corporations that could be producing drugs that are potentially harmful. Basic knowledge related to health science is required to maintain a stable condition for public health. Understanding of the human body can contribute to improving public health and quality of life.
The need for scientific literacy also has relevance for a changing economic structure. The worker of the technology based world will have to have more skills. Technology has already changed the nature of the global economy and the labor force. Most worker will need a university education or more to be competitive. It will be a work environment that requires a commitment to life long learning. There is a possibility that many jobs and various occupations will disappear due to robotics and artificial intelligence. Most manual labor jobs or low skilled work may vanish in the coming centuries. Children will have to be educated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to fill future job positions. Information technology has become so much a part of global society that most of the world's population comes into contact with it. There remains a digital divide in some regions of the world,but it is only a matter of time before this disappears. Much like the spread of automobiles, radio, television, or nuclear technology personal computers and internet access will be ubiquitous on every continent. While younger people are more open to learning about new technology, older people must learn to adapt to change. Technology continues to be a part of daily life and resisting change will only cause certain people to fall behind. The global population will need basic computer skills and a general knowledge of computer science. The future requires a strong emphasis on scientific literacy. If this is not done economic stability could be jeopardized. Public education will have to be readjusted to meet the needs of the emerging techoscientific society. Knowledge and awareness should be the major goal of a modern education. Scientific literacy can make an improved workforce,, which can maintain economic health.
Scientific literacy is needed to combat the rise of misinformation, falsehoods, and a growing anti-intellectual movement. There are falsehoods that are commonly presented as factual among global society. Climate change has been vigorous denied even though it is a fact of geological history. Evolution still has a sizable amount of opposition, which is so great that intelligent design is taught in some public schools. Technology has in general seen as a negative development with some calling for the return to a pre-technological society. Superstition and religious fundamentalism has become the enemy of rational thought. Such blind devotion has become ubiquitous. There is almost a blur between organized religion and the extreme fanaticism. The dogmatic thinking and blind worship suspends critical thinking skills. It makes populations easier to control and manipulate for political purposes. Dogma can effect any area of life. Science can even fall victim to it. Scientism represents a worship of the sciences to an extent of becoming a religion without a God. One should always be critical of the ideology or thoughts they adopt. To find facts one should not immediately accept what is presented. Faith is not a fact, but a belief system. Convictions are not based on facts rather the independent thoughts and conclusions reached by an individual. Facts must be established by evidence. The falsehoods and superstitions are presented as fact even in a highly technological society. Astrology, fortune telling, and the belief in ghosts still have devoted followers. Pseudoscience also poses a challenge damaging genuine scientific research. The lack of scientific literacy makes it difficult for the public to distinguish fact from fiction. A more serious consequence is when a society become philistine, its civilization will gradually decline. Civilizations cannot last without a strong emphasis on arts and sciences. Engineering provides infrastructure, medicine allows for improved public health, and scientific knowledge allows for an informed citizenry.
There is an emergent anti-intellectual movement centered around the more traditionalist and culturally conservative elements. They oppose science, because it challenges their religious convictions. This extends to promoting an attitude that science is not worth learning or believing it does not have relevance. The promotion of such ignorance is nothing new. Normally, such attitudes came from the Church. When the Church became intertwined with the state. scientists and those who questioned the order were either persecuted or face execution. It was not until the Enlightenment did this change. The priests and the Pope at one time wielded immense power over society, culture, and politics. The Catholic Church and then its Protestant competitors battled for the control of Europe. They also fought to control what knowledge and information the public had access to. The contemporary period has enabled individuals to gain access to a vast assortment of information. The traditionalists want to stop this from happening out of fear it will reduce their followers. This group of modern day traditionalists parallel the fanatics of the Medieval and Reformation past. They oppose free thought and have a desire to eliminate any idea that challenges their world view. This explains why stem cell research, evolution, and climate change have become contentious issues in the public consciousness. Science has the ability to encourage free thought and to examine the world in various perspectives. Denying people of the excitement and wonder science has to offer is a missed opportunity. A person cannot advance in life if their mind and its full potential is stifled. The world becomes a much more interesting place when seen through the lens of scientific knowledge.
Scientific literacy should be one of the major foundations of a modern education. The rapid expansion of human knowledge require people who can decipher it. Our universe is being explored with more exoplanets being discovered and more information about space is being revealed. The nature of reality and life can be seen through subatomic particles and quantum physics. Applied science is making progress in biotechnology, nanotechnology. and information technology. This will radically alter life and civilization on Earth. The population must have an understanding of these technologies and the responsibility that comes with its use. The development of critical thinking skills is more essential now than it ever has been. Access to information does not stop the spread of mendacity. There could be printed or visual material that may appear to be accurate, yet this may not be the case. Reasoning in a manner like the scientific method could be the best tool to combating falsehoods. Scientific literacy will enable the development of a skilled workforce and greater economic stability. If the average worker does not have at least some basic scientific knowledge, they will struggle in a changing labor market. While biology, physics, mathematics, and chemistry are taught in both in public schools and universities these subjects should be emphasized more. Information technology and some levels of computer science are offered, but not enough to keep up with demands. Besides the labor market, the health of society is dependent on the rejection of dogma and fanaticism. Superstition and religious fundamentalism pose a serious risk to stability and safety of global society. Ignorance, closed mindedness, or complete disregard for facts or evidence are becoming too common place in a world that is surrounded by information. The desire not to learn or consider other opposing ideas indicates a civilization in crisis. When a society ceases to be curious or explore, that is when it dies. Only education and free thought can counter this backlash to the rising technoscientific era.
Science has relevance to human experience on both a personal and society wide level. Biomedical science and health are important to many populations. Biology, anatomy, and physiology explain the attributes of the human body. The human population is now living longer than ever before. The public must have a strong understanding of anatomy, biology, and physiology for the sake of maintaining optimum health. Besides personal choice , genetics, and environment health can be effected by a lack of knowledge. If one was never educated about the function and nature of the human body it would be difficult to maintain good health. Learning about nutrition, diet, and general health science can improve public health and quality of life. Often when patients visit a doctor they may have a difficult time describing a certain aliment. Doctors are left either guessing what a disease or medical condition is because a person may have difficulty describing it in specific terms. Having the knowledge of biomedical science could assist with improvement to individual and public health. Scientific knowledge can also help protect against medical malpractice. There are many drugs that are sold to the public that have adverse side effects. Many doctors prescribe them knowing the side effects. Unless a patient has some knowledge about drugs on the the market, they could be vulnerable to such malpractice. Governments often fail to protect citizens from pharmaceutical corporations that could be producing drugs that are potentially harmful. Basic knowledge related to health science is required to maintain a stable condition for public health. Understanding of the human body can contribute to improving public health and quality of life.
The need for scientific literacy also has relevance for a changing economic structure. The worker of the technology based world will have to have more skills. Technology has already changed the nature of the global economy and the labor force. Most worker will need a university education or more to be competitive. It will be a work environment that requires a commitment to life long learning. There is a possibility that many jobs and various occupations will disappear due to robotics and artificial intelligence. Most manual labor jobs or low skilled work may vanish in the coming centuries. Children will have to be educated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to fill future job positions. Information technology has become so much a part of global society that most of the world's population comes into contact with it. There remains a digital divide in some regions of the world,but it is only a matter of time before this disappears. Much like the spread of automobiles, radio, television, or nuclear technology personal computers and internet access will be ubiquitous on every continent. While younger people are more open to learning about new technology, older people must learn to adapt to change. Technology continues to be a part of daily life and resisting change will only cause certain people to fall behind. The global population will need basic computer skills and a general knowledge of computer science. The future requires a strong emphasis on scientific literacy. If this is not done economic stability could be jeopardized. Public education will have to be readjusted to meet the needs of the emerging techoscientific society. Knowledge and awareness should be the major goal of a modern education. Scientific literacy can make an improved workforce,, which can maintain economic health.
Scientific literacy is needed to combat the rise of misinformation, falsehoods, and a growing anti-intellectual movement. There are falsehoods that are commonly presented as factual among global society. Climate change has been vigorous denied even though it is a fact of geological history. Evolution still has a sizable amount of opposition, which is so great that intelligent design is taught in some public schools. Technology has in general seen as a negative development with some calling for the return to a pre-technological society. Superstition and religious fundamentalism has become the enemy of rational thought. Such blind devotion has become ubiquitous. There is almost a blur between organized religion and the extreme fanaticism. The dogmatic thinking and blind worship suspends critical thinking skills. It makes populations easier to control and manipulate for political purposes. Dogma can effect any area of life. Science can even fall victim to it. Scientism represents a worship of the sciences to an extent of becoming a religion without a God. One should always be critical of the ideology or thoughts they adopt. To find facts one should not immediately accept what is presented. Faith is not a fact, but a belief system. Convictions are not based on facts rather the independent thoughts and conclusions reached by an individual. Facts must be established by evidence. The falsehoods and superstitions are presented as fact even in a highly technological society. Astrology, fortune telling, and the belief in ghosts still have devoted followers. Pseudoscience also poses a challenge damaging genuine scientific research. The lack of scientific literacy makes it difficult for the public to distinguish fact from fiction. A more serious consequence is when a society become philistine, its civilization will gradually decline. Civilizations cannot last without a strong emphasis on arts and sciences. Engineering provides infrastructure, medicine allows for improved public health, and scientific knowledge allows for an informed citizenry.
There is an emergent anti-intellectual movement centered around the more traditionalist and culturally conservative elements. They oppose science, because it challenges their religious convictions. This extends to promoting an attitude that science is not worth learning or believing it does not have relevance. The promotion of such ignorance is nothing new. Normally, such attitudes came from the Church. When the Church became intertwined with the state. scientists and those who questioned the order were either persecuted or face execution. It was not until the Enlightenment did this change. The priests and the Pope at one time wielded immense power over society, culture, and politics. The Catholic Church and then its Protestant competitors battled for the control of Europe. They also fought to control what knowledge and information the public had access to. The contemporary period has enabled individuals to gain access to a vast assortment of information. The traditionalists want to stop this from happening out of fear it will reduce their followers. This group of modern day traditionalists parallel the fanatics of the Medieval and Reformation past. They oppose free thought and have a desire to eliminate any idea that challenges their world view. This explains why stem cell research, evolution, and climate change have become contentious issues in the public consciousness. Science has the ability to encourage free thought and to examine the world in various perspectives. Denying people of the excitement and wonder science has to offer is a missed opportunity. A person cannot advance in life if their mind and its full potential is stifled. The world becomes a much more interesting place when seen through the lens of scientific knowledge.
Scientific literacy should be one of the major foundations of a modern education. The rapid expansion of human knowledge require people who can decipher it. Our universe is being explored with more exoplanets being discovered and more information about space is being revealed. The nature of reality and life can be seen through subatomic particles and quantum physics. Applied science is making progress in biotechnology, nanotechnology. and information technology. This will radically alter life and civilization on Earth. The population must have an understanding of these technologies and the responsibility that comes with its use. The development of critical thinking skills is more essential now than it ever has been. Access to information does not stop the spread of mendacity. There could be printed or visual material that may appear to be accurate, yet this may not be the case. Reasoning in a manner like the scientific method could be the best tool to combating falsehoods. Scientific literacy will enable the development of a skilled workforce and greater economic stability. If the average worker does not have at least some basic scientific knowledge, they will struggle in a changing labor market. While biology, physics, mathematics, and chemistry are taught in both in public schools and universities these subjects should be emphasized more. Information technology and some levels of computer science are offered, but not enough to keep up with demands. Besides the labor market, the health of society is dependent on the rejection of dogma and fanaticism. Superstition and religious fundamentalism pose a serious risk to stability and safety of global society. Ignorance, closed mindedness, or complete disregard for facts or evidence are becoming too common place in a world that is surrounded by information. The desire not to learn or consider other opposing ideas indicates a civilization in crisis. When a society ceases to be curious or explore, that is when it dies. Only education and free thought can counter this backlash to the rising technoscientific era.
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