Friday, June 04, 2010
My article in `Phalanx' on doing science in India
Phalanx is a Quarterly Review for Continuing Debate. I am pleased to say that it carries my article on doing science in India. As mentioned there, it is a foray into a complex subject and is hardly comprehensive, and does not propose any solutions. The editors added questions and issues to my write-up. Let me know what you think.
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I think the current systems of education we see in the world are failing horribly in their ability to meet the jobs before them. Education is not seen as an ends in itself, but merely as a means to some other end. Educators are more concerned with the continuation of the system then adavancement of the issues.
In a world which could so desperately use the talent, knowledge, and work of the scientific community, we find the greatest effort being expended attempting to resurrect, and bandage broken systems of operation in education, business, and the world more generally. The world's problems are too big to be worried about bureaucracy. One idea asked in your article is how to "market" science, I think the answer to this is to soberly appraise the world, what more motivating object can be found?
The world's dependency on fossil fouls?
The destruction of our water supplies and other ecosystems?
Species Extinction?
Demands of supporting large populations?
The destruction of the industrial base?
The list could go on and on. I felt when reading your paper it was like I was standing with a group of fire fighters, in a city which is just a raging inferno, and thereare axes, and firetrucks, and hydrants, and a bunch of firemen, but instead of saving people and putting out the fire, the fireman are debating who is cooking dinner back at the firehouse? They are asking themselves how can we get better cooks in our department? And Who is going to cook dinner next week?...
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