Knocking on Heaven's Door - Lisa Randall [197]
Kevin Kelly, one of the founders of Wired magazine, said when we were on a panel together at a conference about technology and progress: “Technology is the greatest force in the universe.” If that is indeed the case, science is responsible for the greatest force, since basic science was essential to the technology revolution. The electron was discovered with no ulterior motive, yet electronics has defined our world. Electricity too was a purely intellectual discovery, yet the planet is now pulsing with wires and cables. Even quantum mechanics, the esoteric theory of the atom, turned out to be the key to Bell Labs’ scientists developing the transistor—the underlying hardware of the technology revolution. Yet none of the early investigators of the atom would have believed that the research they were doing would ever have any application, let alone one as grand as the computer and the information revolution. Both basic scientific knowledge and scientific ways of thinking were needed for the deep insights into the nature of reality that ultimately led to these breakthroughs.
No amount of computing power or social networking would have helped Einstein develop the theory of relativity any faster than he did. Scientists probably wouldn’t have understood quantum mechanics any more rapidly either. This is not to deny that, once there is an idea or some new understanding of a phenomenon, technology expedites advances. And some problems simply do require sifting through large amounts of data. But usually a core idea is essential. The insights into the nature of reality that the practice of science gives us can ultimately lead to transformative breakthroughs that affect us in unpredictable ways. It is vital that we continue to pursue it.
It is now a given that technology is central. This is true in the sense that most new developments critically employ technology. But I would add that it is central in the sense of being neither the beginning nor the end, but rather a means of getting things done and communicating and connecting developments. What we want to use it for is our choice. And the insights that go into solving problems or new developments can arise from many forms of creative thought.
Technology also makes each of us the center of our own universe, as we see physically in MapQuest or metaphorically on any social networking site. But the problems of the world are far more extensive and global. Technology can enable solutions, but they are more likely to come when also prompted by clear and creative thinking—the kind we see in the best scientific work.
In the past, our nation’s attention to science and technology—along with the recognition that we need to make long-term commitments and stick to them—has proved to be a successful strategy that kept us in the forefront of new developments and ideas. We now seem to be in danger of losing these values that have worked so well for us before. We need to recommit to these principles as we seek not just short-term advances but also to understand the costs and benefits for the long term.
Rational inquiry about the world deserves more credit, so that we can use it to address some of the serious challenges that lie ahead. Bruce Alberts in his lecture also advocated scientific thinking as a way of arming people against rants, simplified TV news, and overly subjective talk radio. We don’t want people to drift away from the scientific method, since that method is essential to reaching meaningful conclusions about the many complex systems that societies today must deal with—among them the financial system, the environment, risk assessment, and health care.
One of the key elements in making advances and solving problems—whether scientific