driving redux, and a bit about science

it appears my driving post from a little bit ago did no good at all. it's as if very few people actually read my blog. that can't be.

well, regardless, people are still driving as retarded as ever. and with the increase in gas prices, we've got morons accelerating slower when a red light turns green, or on an interstate on-ramp, or refusing to get anywhere near speed limit (all in the hopes of squeezing a few more miles per gallon out of their Hummers or Suburbans).

i know it'll never change, but it still pisses me off having to negotiate around these dipshits every day.

science.

as most of you know, i work as a scientist. my official title is Scientist III. i studied science in college and have a fairly firm grasp on the scientific method and what it entails. what gets me is how little science is thought of in the general public, to non-scientists (especially politicians). i don't understand this, but it definitely exists. and, i'm not talking about those moonbat creationists who refuse to believe in the soundness of evolutionary biology. i'm talking about the everyday people who work as accountants and waitresses and bus drivers.

i get the sense that most people think science is little changed from early Greek society, when it was in the realm of philosophy, to be debated and argued and discussed; each person with a different "scientific" view of the world. trust me, it's not. nor are we in our basements trying to conjure the final alchemical formula to change lead into gold (or at least we only do that during our spare time).

science is a strict discipline of measuring, formulating, observing, theorizing, gathering more data, fine tuning theories and always (ALWAYS) updating current thought to whatever data we currently have. Newton was right until Einstein came along. it doesn't make Newton wrong, just less precise. Linneaus was all we had until Darwin. and current science builds on the previous work of scientists who've come before us.

so, what does all this mean? it means science is the best "guess" (and by guess i mean best theory based on facts as we know them now) as to how the world works; be it evolution, global warming, quantum physics or the theory of plate tectonics. there might be a discovery later that changes our current thoughts, but it WILL be fact-based.

ignoring science because it seems a little weird (quantum physics) or doesn't jive with your current (religious) world view (evolution) or is politically charged (global warming) is foolish. you do so at your own risk (and in some cases, at the risk of everyone you love). pretty much every major advancement we have seen as a species could be attributed directly to science.

we do i rant about this? i'm just sick and tired of hearing politicians and religious leaders and, well, damn near everyone else bemoan the evil that is science. without science, we wouldn't have tvs, refrigerators, cars, or airplanes. without science, we'd still die from simple bacterial infections and would have a life expectancy somewhere around 40. without science, we would still be worshipping gods and revere men who wear funny hats (oh, wait...). without science, we would still be in the Dark Ages. some people find that comforting, i find it frightening.

thanks, science; we love you!