Global Jurassic Sphere

It's pretty long, but if you're interested in Science, and particularly "Global Warming" please read this speech by Michael Crichton. It got me thinking because at Science Camp each year, I use the Drake Equation mentioned in the piece as an example of how science sometimes really works. The kids always get a laugh when I say "Scientists estimate this to be somewhere between zero and 100%." I've since regretted teaching them that real scientists sometimes really say things like this. Then, the rest of the week if I ask them something like, "how far away would you say that is?" They'd respond proudly, "I'd say it was somewhere between zero and 1 zillion kilometers" And, I'd say, "Yes, that's right." I actually agree with most of what Crichton says in this piece. Except that it seems to me obvious that the kind of science he is complaining about, the kind he says is not science at all, is, in fact, the kind of science we get. This is one of the chief lessons of Science Camp; that Science is a cultural endeavor, strewn with the artifacts of our belief systems, fears and desires. Is there such a thing as "pure science?" What we might call "Truth" or "Reality?" Something immune from postmodern relativism? Isn't gravity "true?" Well...if you haven't noticed yet, this gets into some philosophical areas. Dare I say, Religious areas? Go ahead, ask me what I think, I dare you.

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