Science and Society - Scientists Lost in Space
By: Hans Bool
One of the tasks of science (and scientists) is to show the true nature of things… Does eliminating Pluto as the ninth planet fall under this description? Is this what science should produce, that we have to rewrite millions of schoolbooks and to explain the children in the world the difference between a real planet and a fake one?
Scientific thought could influence our society a great deal. The impact of the scientific work of scientist does in fact constantly influence our thought and behavior. The discovery of the relative theory or the quantum theory was exported to other areas of society and imported in cultural behavior. But the question is whether this new discovery that Pluto is no longer to be accepted as a planet, will not influence us at all.
What it will bring about is the way that we think of scientist. Scientists are on average extremely competent in producing thoughts, ideas, concepts and theoretical dissertations. On average, their commercial talent is less developed. This is not a problem, because you cannot have it all. As long as there are people in between, the fruits of science will reach us anyway.
At the moment it looks more that the scientist are trying to sell their own ideas and that will go at cost of investigating more and new concepts. Or put the other way, because of a lack of new ideas or concepts, scientists are dedicating their time to convince us that we should rethink where we are.
This is not their job. When there is something interesting we will be informed about it, because of some virus (marketing) that escapes the scientific laboratories. If there is no real news, let us just continue to think that Pluto is a planet – even if we are wrong. It will hurt nobody.
The Pluto case shows indeed the truth nature (of scientists): They are only human.
© 2006 Hans Bool
Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management tools. Have a look at some of our free management tools