Science Was Cool

   The Importance of Science and Reason Since The 1600s

   Since the dawn of man, science has been prevalent and in a state of constant advancement. Scientific exploration established a majority of human discovery, and has led our race to many of our most complex theories. This leads me to the conclusion that science and reason have always been the ultimate truth, and will continue to be in the future.

   The 1600s consisted of religion, misguided logic, and a strict rule that hindered the growth of scientific advancement. However, certain important figures like Galileo and Francis Bacon, both influential and recognized figures within the scientific community, managed to their conflicting and deviant ideas. Galileo (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer, philosopher, mathematician, and physicist. Galileo was a major influence during the scientific revolution, and is renowned as one of the best scientists of all time. Galileo is famous for the introduction of heliocentrism.  Heliocentrism introduced the idea of the earth fixated in a complex series of planets, revolving around the sun. The idea was immediately opposed, as many of the time's philosophers and physicists still supported the idea of the Earth being a central planet, which acted as the center of the universe. His theory was deemed outlandish and religiously inaccurate by the Catholic church, and it was strongly suggested that he suspended his work with the theory. Later in his life, Galileo supported his ideas and was therefore sentenced to house arrest. It was during that period of isolation that Galileo completed what many consider to be some of his greatest works. Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. Francis Bacon is commonly recognized in the scientific world as the father of the scientific method. As a philosopher, Bacon agreed with most of the deep thinkers of his time period. However, Bacon recognized that the best way to interpret what makes sense in the world is by making sense of the 5 senses. He also insisted that "all must be doubted before it can be accepted as truth" (Francis Bacon) ; an ideology that is widely practiced today.

    As the world began to progress, as did science and reason. Factories grew at an incalculable rate, as the stream engine gained its popularity, predetermining the pace of technology for generations. As technology advanced, as did our knowledge of the human race. This was the time period of Charles Darwin, the father of modern evolutionary science. At a young age, after the realization that he would never be able to handle the gory responsibilities of a medical doctor, Darwin embarked on a global journey, studying various plants and species; a subject he had been interested in since childhood. As Darwin traveled and observed hundreds of species, classifying each uniquely, he came to multiple complex conclusions. Each species that currently exists in the world is a genetically modified descendant of a preexisting species. Therefore, Darwin concluded that no species was unique, and only a slight mutation. With his findings, Darwin also argued that the surviving species would be naturally selected by how it adapts to its living condition. “Natural selection almost inevitably causes much extinction of the less improved forms of life” (Darwin, 1861). 


Pictured is the Galapagos tortoise; a species illustrated and studied by Charles Darwin. Within close proximity lived another tortoise, with similar mannerisms, yet subtle differences in physical appearance. Darwin theorized that due to location and limitations.



Darwin's ideas were shamed and ignored by the religious community, as it disproves the creationist ideology. However, the theories are still frequently practiced modernly, and have gained much more popularity. The theory of evolution and biological progression is taught in most schools, and has inspired exploration of creation on atomic and molecular levels.

Finally, science advanced to a state of such hyper-precision, that scientists like Einstein, Schrodinger, and other pioneers of quantum mechanics began introducing and inspiring the study of quantum physics.

Primarily, the theory of wave-particle duality, an old quantum physically theory created by Michael Duane, inspired many influential scientists to create some of the universe's most complex theories. The theory describes a molecule in an environment similar to a vacuum, acting as both a wave and particle. The molecule only collapses into one of the two states once interacted with by an observer. Science heavily relied on an observer's interaction, and was included in countless theories. The Copenhagen interpretation, written by Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, that stated that all objects remain in quantum superposition until it is observed. The idea was controversial among scientists globally, as famous physicists like Einstein and Schrodinger both mocked the idea. Einstein proposed a scenario where gunpowder was left unattended in a room, in which the conditions had a 50/50 chance of detonating a charge. He then stated that it would be ridiculous to believe that it could be both detonated and undetonated, as its impact would be immediately apparent. A now famous thought-experiment, Schrodinger proposed a similar scenario, however incorporating a living organism; a cat.

Shrodinger proposed exactly what is shown above; a small box in which a cat is placed with a decaying radioactive element. If the element decays, a detector will activate a hammer that falls upon a vile of poison, killing the cat. If the element never decays, which its suggested state was entirely possible, the cat would live. Due to the unknown state of the cat, it lived in quantum superposition. (Edwin Cartlidge, 2011). For his work, Schrodinger received a Nobel prize, and set a standard for research in quantum physics.

As situations become more dire, and called for more than thought experiments, science and reason become the ultimate conclusion to the second World War. The United States were participating in a conclusive race against the Germans; one that would likely determine the fate of mankind. The project's initiative was to create the first atomic bomb; a feat that could only be accomplished using scientific methods and research, and by uniting the world's greatest minds. In a letter conceived by both Einstein and Szilard, the two suggest the the United States government collect a large stockpile of uranium, as it could like be used to create the world's first incredibly destructive weapon. The project was carried out under extreme secrecy, and included world renowned physicists such as Openheimer, Einstein, Fermi, and more. As these remarkable minds managed to craft the very first nuclear weapon, WWII was pacing the world for ultimate destruction. The dropping of the atomic bombs resulted in over 100,000 deaths, and is commonly attributed to being the end-all of WWII (Grolier, 1998).

Science and reasonable thinking has always offered solutions for most of the world's problems, and will likely continue to do so. As civilization has evolved to the point of such incredible knowledge, that intense study and scientific advancement may be the only method of achieving answers. In the past 100 years, humans have taken to the sky, has dated matter using extracted carbon, and even exploring the depths of space. All of these amazing achievements could have only been accomplished by applying the accuracy of science and reasonable thinking. As the human race is now fixated on exploring the universe, science will likely advance to the point where we can thoroughly explore surrounding galaxies, and even finding habitable substitutes for planet Earth.

In conclusion, science and reason have always been the ultimate truth, and will continue to be in the future. 

Work Cited

Cartlidge, Edwin. "Entangled Photons cast a new light on Cause and Effect." 
     Physics World. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2015. <http://physicsworld.com/ 
     cws/article/news/2015/mar/30/ 
     entangled-photons-cast-a-new-light-on-cause-and-effect>. 

Charles Darwin." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

Haberman, Arthur, The Modern Ages: Ideas in Western Civilization.  Toronto: Gage educational publishing, 1987.

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"The Manhattan Project." Rice Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2015. 
     <http://gk12.rice.edu/trs/science/Atom/man.htm>.