Value of science in general
Science makes sense. What is sense ? Knowing, understanding, applying and appreciating, all to go to make sense. Man alone is endowed with this capacity to know while other animals live by mere instinct. Man alone can modify his environment while other animals when they cannot adapt to the changing environment simply perish. Not only does man modify his environment but he creates also an environment where he can live comfortably. Thus man today can live in the hottest part of the world or the coldest part. This achievement he has been able to get by his knowledge of Science and by his mastery over forces and by his ability to adapt them for his own ends.
Whether one is going to be a scientist or not, one should be able to use the products of science. There are innumerable gadgets science has placed in our hands; man enjoys using them. There is no time in the day when man does not use some product or other. At home stoves are in common usage. Watches are used as though a man is born with them. Bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and motorcars are commonly used for transport. Transistorized radios and stereograms have come to stay. They are looked upon as important second only to food and clothing. Television is catching up too. In the office many contrivances are used like the intercom telephone, the transistorized calculating machine and computers. Man is affected by all these. Directly or indirectly he has to deal with them. In most cases one has to use them. This requires a rudimentary knowledge of their working. So we see whether it be at home or in the farm or in the office, a knowledge of science would go a long way to enjoy the fruits. Otherwise it would be like a man who bought a gold watch but could not tell the time because it had Roman numerals.
The next stage is to know how things work. One must have a fundamental knowledge of science. An idea of various laws connected science, a knowledge of energy and its various causes and effects are fundamentals to be learnt. One must have the knowledge of the world of elements to know and understand their reactions. One may handle a camera efficiently without knowing the physical and chemical actions involved. To understand them is by far better than simply following instructions blindly. Besides the physical world there is the world of living things. How organisms live and multiply, how they affect our lives, how best to make use of them for the betterment of our lives are some of the areas of biological sciences in which man must be interested. Now that scientific farming has come to stay, man must know all about the tools of farming, manures and fertilizers and enemies and friends of plants.
What the ancient man looked at with awe and fear, the modem man is able to appreciate. He can measure the skies, probe into space and dig deep into the bowels of the earth or ocean for minerals. Science is not only for material benefits but also for the progress of mankind. The landing of “The Viking ” on planet Mars may be a costly project today but the knowledge gained from it is useful. The appreciation of the world of colour and sound is something to be cultivated. This had led to the great poetry of the world.
Knowledge of Science has helped man to create. The creative activity is not confined to scientists alone but the knowledge of basic science has helped many to create. This is evident in various fields and we come across ordinary artisans without any scientific knowledge doing a bit of creative activity.
Therefore, a knowledge of Science to an ordinary man, even though he may not become a scientist is as valuable as his knowing the fundamentals of civil law.
