The Fear of Science :: Scientific Essays Papers

The Fear of Science My whole life I have loved science. The fact that people, mankind, has the ability to invent things that make our world better, easier, or even worse off amazes me. I am absolutely astounded by science. Every single aspect of science is fascinating, from cancer research to the periodic table of elements, all is so interesting. Why people abandon, reject or have no interest in science is a question that I propose. Is it because they purely do not care? Or maybe it is fear. Resistance to science is born of fear (Bishop 241). This quote by J. Michael Bishop is a great example of why the world often avoids science. I feel that science is something that people often take for granted. Science is very significant to me because it is my major. I want to be a nurse practitioner and that is based on anatomy and biology. These two sciences are based on the human body, which is an amazing machine. Through science we have been able to learn more about our bodies. We now know how our bodies work, why they shut down and how to help when it does. The research done based on the human body has given us medicines to live longer and have a more fulfilling life. With the study of the human body we also know what is bad for us, like smoking and drinking, and what is good for us, like exercise and a balanced diet. These things should be significant to everyone because without the knowledge, our lives would be shorter than they already are. Science has helped us in many ways. Along with studying our bodies, it has provided insight on how the world and universe works. We know why volcanoes erupt and how earthquakes happen. This knowledge is helpful to us because we can prepare for natural disasters. Another thing that science has given to our society is technology. I feel that the two go hand in hand. From electricity to cell phones, all have been developed by science. Computers are also a part of our daily life and make things much easier for us. Our society does not appreciate scienc e the way it should, rather it just raises the expectations of science. Yet despite these proud achievements, science today is increasingly mistrusted and under attack (Bishop 237). Bishops quote clearly shows that science is taken for granted.