Brief Introduction:

Importance of Science and Research

Science is important for the simple reason that it is designed to provide better information about how the world we live in works.  It is important to understand that humans have pretty much always sought to understand the world.  To some extent, this understanding is somewhat hardwired in our neurology: We human see patterns in the world, both spatial (e.g. knowing what a door is) and temporal (knowing how things occur over time, as in cause and effect).  

The so-called scientific revolution that led to what we no know as modern science is traditionally held by most historians to have begun in 1543, when the books De humani corporis fabrica (On the Workings of the Human Body) by Andreas Vesalius, and also De Revolutionibus, by the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, were first printed.  It arose out of an effort to improve both the methods of science and the findings of science.

 To read an expanded discussion of the nature and development of science

Criticism of Science

Both science and research have come under criticism these days, especially in the eyes of the general puglic. While it takes various forms, at the core, the criticism questions the validity and value of science.  Further, critics often suggest that belief, or feelings, or gut reactions, are more important than observation.  This is not new, but it is becoming more and more prevalent at present.  We have more to say about this in our introduction to science, itself (see below).

Why is the criticism arising in the general public? 

Before addressing this question, it is important to recognize that such criticism as been present pretty much all the time in the academic world. 

As for the current increase in the criticism is occurring in the general public, we cannot say for sure.  We do thing there can bemultiple reasons for it, ranging from a lack of knowledge about science to an objection to various scientific findings (e.g., objections to the notion of evolution). Whatever the case, we don't propose to address these possible reasons (at least not right now).

As you might well image, while we recognize and accept the so-called post-modern concerns about traditional science, we don't agree with these objections to science in the generalpopulation.  We don't propose that feelings are beliefs, etc., are irrelevant, but we do propose that they are often inadequate when it comes to perceiving and understanding reality.  Indeed, we feel science and research are often the key to discovering reality.