Science and I have always maintained a friendly relationship. I always found it interesting and it, I am guessing, always found me to be another one of its disciples. I have always found science to a necessary part of a well-rounded education. An Education, which together, all of the subjects I studied would lean together in harmony to create a strong and unshaken pillar of knowledge in which to enjoy for the rest of my life. This remains true (as of this writing). However, I remember a few experiences or, as I like to call them, run-ins with science that still affect me today. (Outside of my failing Chemistry of Junior year of High School because I never took the time to learn the difference between neutrons, protons, etc. [And honesty, I still don’t]).
One of these events that shaped my understanding of science and has connections to our course material happened in my 7th grade science class in suburban Minnesota. The subject matter we were undertaking was all about Space. And it was in this science classroom that I learned that planets have different seasons because of “egg-shaped” orbits around the Sun. So, when the Earth was further away, we were in winter, and vice versa for the Summer months. Wait…what do you mean that isn’t true?! I learned in my science class! Well, it turns out my science teacher was wrong. But, before I knew this was wrong, I assumed it was right and thus believed that seasons were caused by being away from the Sun, and nothing to do with the Earth’s axis and tilt.
It took me a couple years of science course to set me straight on this matter. In fact, I Googled it to be sure before writing this! (#richpeopleproblems)
The point I am trying to make is that we BELIEVE science and those who are responsible for teaching it to us. Science has earned a spot in our culture, history, and lexicon that is unfettered, unchallenged, and well respected. And in most cases, deserving so. But, what if the facts we learn are wrong? Especially at a young age, how can we reshape our understanding of the world and, in this case, the universe?
Side Note: A good parallel to this case is a school district in Texas that selected certain history textbooks because they omitted Thomas Jefferson (and the separation of Church and State) and other historical events that did not conform to their ideals.
I am not sure exactly how to end this post. However, I would like to offer one final idea/ question: How much faith do we put in Science? Even for those on the first day of class who did not like Science, how much respect and blind following do we place behind whatever Science says? What happens when people learn Science wrong? Then what?
Like you, I have always been interested in science. I agree that it is a very important part of any education. In my eyes, thinking critically about the world around us can only be a good thing! It is unfortunate that some so-called "science teachers" are spouting misinformation like you described. As much as my rational mind hates to acknowledge it, you also raise a good point about science requiring a certain degree of faith. Unless we are out there gathering all the evidence by ourselves, we must rely on experts in the field to inform us about most aspects of science. Your description about how science has found an important spot in our culture reminds me of something Pinker said about science becoming a new religion, or something along those lines. While I do believe science is our best means of understanding the world around us, we must be careful to remain skeptical of claims we hear, even from scientists. While ideally science would only tell us truths about our world, the humans who perform science are just as fallible as the rest of us. There is always the possibility of error and bias with any human, scientists included. As Lewontin discussed, it seems that often times poorly conducted studies or political agendas of scientists can perpetuate falsehoods that prove detrimental to society (as in the case of sociobiologists who claimed certain races were inferior). This is why science must abstain from claiming to possess absolute truth. For this same reason, despite a high degree of respect and trust for science, I always take scientific claims with a healthy dose of skepticism.
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