Astronomer Royal Martin Rees: We're in a race between science education and catastrophe - Salon

There's now of course far more racial and gender diversity among scientists, though still not enough.

But even in earlier centuries, scientists weren't all in the same mould.

Without their insights, we'd be denied the everyday benefits whereby our lives differ from those of our forebears – electricity, health care, transport, computers and the internet?

Yet if democratic debate is to rise above mere sloganeering, everyone needs a greater "feel" for science to avoid becoming bamboozled by propaganda and bad statistics.

Of course, science certainly doesn't have to be "relevant" to be interesting.

It's hard to think of anything less relevant than space and dinosaurs — but nothing in science fascinates young children more. .

Moreover, I feel my research benefits from this public engagement: the occupational risk of scientists is that they focus so obsessively on the minutiae and technicalities that they forget that it's clarifying the "big picture" that makes their efforts worthwhile. ?

Of course, science certainly doesn't have to be "relevant" to be interesting.

It's hard to think of anything less relevant than space and dinosaurs — but nothing in science fascinates young children more.

Scientists are widely believed to think in a special way – to follow what's called the "scientific method." This belief should be downplayed.

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