A lot of us recognize Science as merely a course taught in school, a set of laws and theories to memorize or simply something too complex for their understanding. But Science is something much more than that. It is a way of thinking. And it is this way of thinking that is so crucial to our survival, and continuous development, as a species.
So what is the scientific mindset? And why is it so important? Why is it better than other mindsets like a religious mindset, or a traditional mindset? This post will seek to answer these questions. And as always, I hope it helps the reader better understand the world around him/her.
Science is the study of the laws that govern everything around us. From what makes us breathe to how your pencil will behave if released from a certain height above the ground, to how humans and other animals are shaped by their surroundings. In short, science is the process of “finding out”. Once that is clear, we can move on to how to go about “finding out”. Well, the first step is simple: saying, “I don’t know”. Only when you accept that you do not know how something works, or why something happens, can you begin your journey of finding out about it. And this step is by far the most important (and for some, the most difficult) step in moving towards a scientific mindset. If you have some preconceptions about a topic, which may be due to traditional beliefs or religious teachings, you are hindered in your discovery of the true nature of it, because you will always seek to affirm the belief you already have. So a scientific mindset requires an “open mind”: an acceptance of the fact that anything is possible.
The next step is to observe and postulate a plausible hypothesis. Observation here is key. It is very important to keep observing things that happen around you. A very good example is that of Isaac Newton. If it weren’t for his observational skills, he would have dismissed the fall of the apple as just another daily life event and moved on, and the law of gravity would not have been discovered. So even observation of daily-life events can lead to paradigm-changing discoveries, as in the case of Newton. Observation also requires a study of all the previous studies done on the subject you are studying. Remember that all discoveries that seem revolutionary are actually built upon previous work. In case of Newton, the work was already present explaining mechanics of heavenly bodies and terrestrial objects separately. All he did was unify the two behaviors in a single law of gravity.
Next is, ofcourse, accumulating evidence. Without evidence, there can be NO theory. All scientific facts must have evidence supporting it. Evidence has a special role in making the scientific mindset. Ever seen two scientists arguing? I bet you haven’t. Because all debates in the scientific world are settled through evidence. If a scientist asserts something and presents evidence supporting that assertion, then unless someone comes up with contradicting evidence, the assertion is accepted as the closest approximation to reality. There are NO debates in science, simply because there is only ONE objective reality. Contrast that with religion, for instance. A debate about whose God is better, will go on forever, because the concept of a God is not based on evidence. Such a debate can only be “won” if one side kills the other, which has been happening ever since religion was invented.
And then we come to the final point: the emergent nature of scientific discovery, which basically means that whatever science suggests, it accepts the posibility of being proven wrong eventually. Our understanding of the universe and of each other is constantly changing, and it is important for us to be able to “let go” of the old explanation in the face of contradicting evidence. Just as Newtonian relativity was replaced by Einsteinian relativity, so too all scientific understandings undergo constant change. The scientific mindset requires the acceptance of the fact that our understandings may eventually be updated, changed or eradicated; the fact that the only constant in the universe is “change”.
To summarize, these are the key features of a scientific mindset:
- The ability to say, “I don’t know”, leading to what can be termed as an “open mind”.
- The constant urge to observe and understand the nature of things around us.
- The resolve to make all decisions based on facts and evidence.
- The ability to let go of old beliefs and accept new explanations when evidence to support them is presented.
The scientific mindset allows us to be in harmony with the closest approximation to “reality” that we have. And when we acknowledge that, we will truly know how we can achieve World Peace. Because there can be only ONE objective reality.
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