Once again we find ourselves confronted with the dissected ideas of Richard Feynman. In an address given to Cal State graduates, Feynman speaks of the importance of not selling themselves short of potential knowledge. He discusses two major issues that he categorizes as Cargo Cult Science. We must no longer live our lives with only blind faith to go by. Society tends to believe all the hype. We have become such a gullible bunch of humans. More and more people turn to astrology and physics for answers to today’s issues. Why is that? Mr. Feynman feels that it is the loss of integrity in the world of science.
Scientists are taking more shortcuts in their studies and experiments. Feynman stats that the negative results of an experiment must be included for accuracy. It is these omitted results that have such an impact in science. Shortcuts influence and have a substantial effect on our teaching. Potential knowledge is being ignored and wasted due to the lack of persistence in asking questions. When did science become part of corporate America, “Mickey Mouseing” experiments because of time frames and budgets? We are cheating our future with bias science and allowing half ass work to be passed off as a scientific discovery. It is this loss of integrity that has led us to what he believes is Cargo Cult Science.
N. Diaz – 06/27/2008
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