By Sanford (Sandy) Morganstein

Where would we be without The Enlightenment?  The Enlightenment generally refers to Western civilization’s continuing exit from the “Dark Ages.”  It follows on The Renaissance (“rebirth” in French).  It is the reinforcement of Science.

I say reinforcement rather than “birth of Science” purposefully…to avoid cultural chauvinism.  Elements of the scientific method appear in Aristotle and ancient Indian materialism.

Continue reading “The Enlightening March for Science”

By Sanford (Sandy) Morganstein

Book Review: The Three-Body Problem

The April March for Science

What does a science fiction book have to do with supporting science in today’s American environment? A Chinese science fiction book for that matter? Here’s the tipoff: “To effectively contain a civilization’s development and disarm it across…a long span of time, there is only one way:  kill its science,” author Liu Cixin has one of the characters say.

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By Sanford (Sandy) Morganstein

It will be the 138th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s birth on March 14.

Einstein once wrote to Freud: “[Great men] have little influence on the course of political events. It would almost appear that the very domain of human activity most crucial to the fate of nations is inescapably in the hands of wholly irresponsible political rulers.”

Ouch!

Continue reading “March and the Birth of Another Giant of Science”

By Sanford (Sandy) Morganstein

February is an especially good time to think of the scientific method and its deep connection to truth.  It’s also a good time to think about the relationship of science to the citizen’s role in emphasizing truth.

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809.  Galileo Galilei was also born in February (February 15, 1564).  Whether or not you like the over-simplification of tagging Galileo as the “father of the scientific method,” you still might appreciate the view that Darwin is the intellectual godson of Galileo.  Both Darwin and Galileo upset deeply held established views on the nature of, well, nature!  Both suffered as a result…but, importantly, to differing degrees.

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By Janet McMillan

Many within the scientific community have expressed fear that a March for Science, like the Woman’s March, will become divisively political, and widen divides between scientists and skeptics. This is a self-defeating perspective: this divide is wider then it has ever been, and will continue to widen regardless of whether scientists march. The benefits of speaking out far outweigh this potential damage: there is an overwhelming need to strengthen communication between scientists and the public, and the current political climate provides an opportunity for this conversation to happen in an unusually impactful way.

Continue reading “The March for Science: An Opportunity to Mobilize”