Taking Science Seriously

Science is not the answer to our looming crises. The imprudent, irresponsible exploitation of science is in fact the cause of many threats that face us. The answer, however, is not to revert back to pre-rational thinking. Instead, we must transcend and include science.

We ignore science at our peril. Scientific evidence is not something to be embraced only when convenient, when it fits our views or opinions. Too often we accept the fruits of scientific discovery and reject the findings we don't like. As a scientist, I evaluate scientific evidence critically, but I take science seriously.

Ptable
Ptable shines when used as a true application, more interactive and dynamic than any standalone software.

Few demonstrations of universal laws are as satisfying as the Periodic Table of the Elements, the basis of chemistry and atomic physics. The chemical behavior of the elements can be derived mathematically from physical principles. I included this site for the shear joy of it. Few serious tools are as entertaining as Ptable.
(Dmitri Mendeleev, 1869)

Virtual Cell Animation
Introducing students to new biology topics through educational animations and images

The Cell Theory is the foundation of biology. (1) All life is made up of cells. (2) The cell is the unit of structure and organization in organisms. (3) Cells arise from pre-existing cells.
(Schwann, Schleiden, Virchow 1830's)

Life is information. Defined as metabolism and reproduction, life requires 3D structures formed from folded strands of protein encoded in DNA. Structures as diverse as hexokinase, hemoglobin, and ribosomes are found in nearly all forms of life. What makes inheritance possible is copying information.
(Watson and Crick, 1953)

Tree of Life Explorer
An interactive map of the evolutionary relationships between 2,123,179 species of life on our planet.

Inheritance (copying information) has led to the phylogenetic Tree of Life. The OneZoom Tree of Life Explorer is the most user-friendly online browser for this tree. A close second is the evogeneao browser. Third is the Tree of Life Web Project. Probably the most complete is Open Tree of Life. Have I mentioned that all life is related?

Human Genome Project
The Human Genome Project (HGP) was one of the great feats of exploration in history.

The HGP was one of the great feats of scientific cooperation. Thanks to universities and research centers throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and China, we now have a complete sequence of the 23 pairs of chromosomes within the nucleus of all our cells. The history can be found in the Archives. (Completed 2003)

Apollo 11 Mission
"The eagle has landed."

Another example of scientific cooperation was "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." Some may question the value of the feat itself (going to the moon), but the benefits of technology transfer are too numerous to name, especially in computing technology (see below). It also changed forever our view of the ourselves in the universe. (Apollo 11, 1969)

Hubble Space Telescope
Embark on a Journey of Discovery

ESA | NASA | STScI | Learned |

The universe is 14 billion years old.
Quasars reside in the cores of galaxies.
We can see the universe's baby photos.
The expansion of the universe is accelerating.
Pluto has more moons than we anticipated.
We've seen the same moment of time more than once.
Supermassive black holes are real.
We know the colors of exoplanets.
Jupiter's moon Ganymede has an ocean.
Europa has plumes, that might indicate signs of life.
There are new worlds we can actually visit.
There was a 10th planet in our solar system.
Dark matter can appear in clumps.
It's a galaxy-eat-galaxy universe out there.
Protoplanetary disks are observable.

Four scientific inventions led to the computer revolution: (1) vacuum tube, (2) transistor, (3) integrated circuit, and (4) microprocessor. From operating a ham radio, to building circuit boards, to coding in assembly language, I have used them all. They each control the flow of electrons, which makes global access to information possible.
(Intel 4004, 1971)

The Internet Society
Connecting the unconnected, because the Internet is for everyone.

Computing has revolutionized our lives, no more dramatically than in the Development of the Internet, which is why you and I are here. The Internet Society promotes the Internet as a global infrastructure, a resource to enrich people’s lives, and a force for good in society: open, globally-connected, secure, and trustworthy.
See also Internet Society on Facebook.

Science and technology have been beneficial for society, overwhelmingly so. But even in the ways our lives have benefited, such as making available abundant energy, we have polluted water and air, destroyed environments, plundered ecosystems, arriving at the brink of self-destruction. Science is not evil, nor is it good. We must transcend as we include science by taking it seriously.

314 Action
A grassroots community of nearly one million scientists and advocates who care about science and facts.

Helping scientists run for office and win may seem partisan, but if one party is consistently anti-science, pro-science resistance is the right course of action. (And I would support a scientist in either party.)
See also 314 Action on Facebook.

Union of Concerned Scientists — Using science to protect our health, safety, and environment.

The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. We combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
See also Union of Concerned Scientists on Facebook.