1. transcript
  2. The Idea that I would Implant in Everyone's Brain?

The Idea that I would Implant in Everyone's Brain?

By apalazzo on May 19, 2006.

This week's question:

If you could shake the public and make them understand one scientific idea, what would it be?

That's tough. Perhaps the meaning of the word HUBRIS? But that's not really "scientific". I guess the easy answer would be evolution or global warming ... but to be honest I would be happier if Americans would show a little more curiosity with regards to the world we live in. This drive to find out more is what science is all about. I do believe that humans are inherently curious; however all too often that drive to learn and find out more is quashed at a very young age.

Why?

Blame the ratrace, the media or just anti-intellectualism (I can hear them now "I don't want my son to become a nerd, do you?"). Perhaps for this reason, Asia will surpass the West in developing new technology.

But does this have anything to do with hubris?

It is in the admission of ignorance and the admission of uncertainty that there is a hope for the continuous motion of human beings in some direction that doesn't get confined, permanently blocked, as it has so many times before in various periods in the history of man.
-Richard P. Feynman

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I think people aren't curious about the sciences (especially molecular and cell biology) because they're scared of it and think it requires 10X more brain cells than the average human so they might as well just not even bother.

I don't think people understand how important the sciences are to their lives. It's as if you have to spell it out to them "I'm studying a super important disease that you might end up dying from" then they might say "Ohhhh! Tell me more!" instead of just nodding and turning to the guy next to them to talk about marketing.

I wish more people cared about what we do, it would make cocktail parties a lot more intersting, not to mention increase scientific funding.

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