How To Learn Science or Why Science is Less Popular than Pro Sports

 

A language evolves when a group of people with common goals and interests live together. Since science is created by men and women who have devoted their lives to expanding a systematic body of knowledge, science is in a sense a language. But the endeavor of science is also a way of thinking, a way of putting forth an idea and testing it by experiment to see if it is actually valid.

The brain does not learn new languages and new ways of thinking too easily. Given the opportunity, it will conserve energy and pursue far less demanding activities like watching pro-sports. In order for science to become a part of a personality, a great deal of energy is required. Neurons don’t form intricate assemblies for free.* Energy has to be provided to them, which translates into daily work for the student. Cramming the night before a test or exam is only a successful short-term strategy. As teachers, we rarely admit that tests and exams are a necessary evil that have little to do with learning. If one only opens a science book when one is pressured into it, as soon as that gun is removed from one's temple—figuratively speaking of course—one will rarely return to the subject.

It’s only by turning to science frequently that one will become aware of its subtleties. Only then will one ask oneself questions that lead to a better understanding for an individual and eventually for society as a whole. Only then will science rival pro sports.


* According to Dr. Tom Stafford, a postdoctoral research assistant and lecturer in the department of Psychology at the University of Sheffield, the brain normally consumes 20 W(20 J per second). When engaged in deep thought, however, the brain's consumption increases to 30 W.