Why is Science Important?

Link between science and technology – in a technological world, tech problems requiring tech solutions, citizens of the world need the ability to evaluate and make decisions about possible solutions

Science is establishing the true nature of the world around us. 

In the past tech could happen by trial and error, not today

Technology seems like a good first answer

This approach is too simple—need to stand back and ask do we need more tech, or do we need to address what poorer countries need, see what benefits they bring to the world, can improve the quality of our lives and can contribute to nuclear destruction, tech is an outcome of science

Robing Bell “science is crucial to the long term survival of our species”

Climate change—ice core techs, understand

Recreate the process that keeps the sun shining-nuclear fusion JET, with science you can change the future, make the world better, science against the climate change problem, science uncovered threat to climate change by discovering hole in the ozone layer, it is science that lets us know there is a problem in the first place, we can understand deeply how things work through science

Scientists who discovered that germs caused disease, reason to separate drinking water from sewage, and for building vaccines against disease and antibiotics, science must pervade medicine   Sanger Institute near Cambridge, human genome, peer review to see whether scientists agree or disagree, basic understanding of cancer, science tells us whether a treatment works or not,

Science is not a panacea—0through politics the fruits of science can change our world.  It is vital that politicians understand science, imp for scientists to communicate their work to others, public understanding of science, we live in a scientific age, society must understand the science to make decisions, kids and geeks to understand, really important is the audience that is turned off by science and government, who is deciding the funding for science including stem cell research

People’s understanding and appreciation of science begins in the classroom.  Teachers express concerns about the ways science is treated in the classroom.  Addresses the individual as a consumer rather than a producer of science, science is one of last vestiges that gives capacity to go beyond what is taught, problems occur when curriculum should fill every minute, with accountability thrust upon them, we start to look at children as currency, where we teach science with enthusiasm and rigor, we will get the, what is the best way to deliver science education, let them know why important and how it can enrich their lives   must understand our universe and develop our understanding and grasping the ideas that we can understand our selves—we want to understand—without it we are not fulfilling our potential as human beings,  the basic desire to answer the big questions of the universe for example, astronomy—astronomy puts us in contact with the grand scale of the universe, bring us to our place in the universe-what is our origin, what is our destiny, chemical elements in the universe,  we come from stardust, doesn’t matter what your profession, but to understand where you come from, part of the universe, just knowing about how the world works , science as a way of obtaining knowledge-science is disciplined inquiry- a way that submits to review, open minded, may not arrive at answers, new questions, scientific mindset prepared to live with open endedness

Science teacher wants students to think for themselves, question things, Victorians believed that public access to the knowledge within the natural history museum would make them better people.  A method in which reliable testable knowledge could be arrived at—a remarkable way of thinking-what an amazing accomplishment the body of scientific knowledge is, an ongoing human endeavor, without science, students handicapped to be all they can be, science lets us see superstition, only method to satisfy our curiosity and let us reach for the stars.

References

•Why is Science Important? Vimeo

•California teachers lack the resources and time to teach science, LA Times, October 31, 2011

•Math and Science Teacher Initiative, CSU
•Teach California
•The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd

•http://www.cftl.org/index_sci.php