This past week I had the honor of attending Neil deGrasse Tyson’s 2016 Year in Review lecture alongside several comrades from our local astronomy club. While I’m not sure I can genuinely say I learnt anything I didn’t already know, it was nonetheless engaging to have the major successes and failures of the past year presented by one who has played such a large role in moving science into the popular vogue.
Science in pop culture was, in fact, one of the main topics of the lecture. The consensus reached was that while there remains a great deal to be done in terms of science literacy, being able to inspire people to be excited about scientific discoveries in the same way that people become excited about new blockbuster movies or the Oscars is a major step in reinvigorating the zeitgeist which enabled such massive leaps in scientific exploration and discovery of the 1960s and 70s. The photo above is from one such effort- Tyson’s cameo appearance in Zoolander 2.
There were, of course, less optimistic moments. Astrophysics has not been exempt from the slew of deaths that 2016 hath wrought, and concerns about the political situation, in particular the election of new leaders who have publicly denied scientific consensus on issues such as climate change and the origins of the cosmos, were overtly mentioned.
“Florida is basically at sea level, so Florida will be the first to go.” Tyson said in response, citing the elevation and terrain of the state in relation to rising sea levels. “That’s where his golf courses are. It’s going to be pretty hard for him to swim from hole to hole, and say it’s a Chinese hoax.”
While not exactly reassuring for the short term, this reflects the kind of quiet optimism that dominated the talk. It was reiterated that it does not particularly matter whether or not politicians deign to believe in scientific fact. Those who refuse to believe in observable phenomena will continue to be proven wrong. So long as they do not attempt to legislate their wrongness, or to use it to supplant the facts, he stated, we need not be particularly concerned with what others believe.
I have strongly mixed feelings about this attitude, as I fear it breeds complacency and elitism of the kind that has contributed to the political divide in this country, and which has been blamed partially for the rise of the “alt-right” and “post-truth” enclaves. In point of fact, I had the opportunity to discuss this point with a former member of the Clinton campaign shortly after the results of the election. I was adamant that it did not particularly matter the religious beliefs of those who had been elected; that it was their duty to govern based on the facts, and not what people claimed they wanted.
“That attitude is why Trump won.” He stated solemnly.
While I appreciate having faith that the scientific process will prevail, I think faith that people will always accept results is misplaced. Whether or not there is an objective truth to the universe one way or another, the fact remains that human observation and understanding of reality is colored and limited by our individual perceptions of reality. If human understanding, therefore, is limited by human perception, it is critical that we ensure that human perception is up to snuff.
While it may not be necessary for an absolute consensus on all subjects, if human progress is to be made most efficient, then it is necessary that enough people have an understanding of the facts to both make informed decisions on a political and social level, and to ensure the timely application of new discoveries on a technological and industrial level. In other words, in order for science and technology to genuinely improve our lives, it is required that they be widely understood enough to be applied. Prospective entrepreneurs need to be aware of technology in order to exploit it, and investors need to understand what there is to be gained by putting capital into cutting edge fields.
This, interestingly enough, was also touched upon in the talk, albeit not directly, when discussing the Nobel prizes awarded this year. The prizes awarded in physics had something to do with the geometric patterns of ultra-thin sheets of carbon; something which seems to most of us quite arcane and esoteric. To someone making a living in construction or farming, or even law or medicine, this work has no apparent application, and indeed might seem like a waste of effort to pursue; certainly not something work winning a Nobel prize over. Professor Tyson explained that this was precisely the same position that quantum physics was in through the first half of the 20th century. In contrast, today roughly a third of the world’s GDP relies directly on the discoveries of quantum physics.
In a perfect world, the truth would be easily recognizable when seen for the first time, and scientists and their followers could rest secure in the knowledge that their discoveries would be disseminated and understood without conscious effort. Unfortunately, we do not live in such a world. While I do fully expect that science and technology will continue advancing regardless of the sociopolitical climate, it remains paramount that we continue our efforts to ensure that the largest number of people are educated to a level to understand and participate in mankind’s drive for advancement. The battle for hearts and minds today is not merely a matter of determining research funding for the next four years, although this is certainly relevant; it is a matter of determining who will be in a position to make tomorrow’s next great discoveries and breakthroughs. It is in the interests of all humanity for that number of people to be as large as possible.
In closing, I would like to mention a brief incident which transpired towards the end of the event. Having finished with the main lecture, the floor was opened up to questions from the audience. A flamboyantly dressed man took the microphone, stating that he had “travelled over many thousands of miles” to present Dr. Tyson with a disc containing evidence he had collected while crossing the Nevada desert, of something in the sky “unlike any system we’ve ever seen”. The room was silent as the man explained that he had taken the evidence to various news outlets, and to NASA, all of whom had turned him away. Ever the scientist, Tyson explained that, while skeptical that such an alien phenomenon as the man seemed to imply would not have also been noticed by many others, he would nonetheless accept the disk and review it.
After the whole thing had finished, the astronomy teacher who had been with us asked us what we had taken away. My response was unequivocally that, should it come to pass in two weeks or so, that an announcement is made from NASA or the like regarding the discovery of extraterrestrial life, we would know that the man was right, and we would all have been present for a critical moment in scientific history. That notion is perhaps more inspiring than anything else that evening; that such a discovery could conceivably be made within our lifetime, and that, by being up to date and educated, we might be able to share in the new discovery. This is why I feel science literacy is critical to our future – because it will enable such terrific discoveries, and increase the likelihood that they will have a positive benefit on all of us.
