Let Global Public Play with Science by Ajay Bhatla

Gbenga Ogungbuyi

Dear Ajay,

I have read your essay. I found it interesting, scientific and publishable in all ramifications. Your quote of insanity from Albert Einstein words was really absorbing.

I have actually rated you higher to maintain your leadership. I am wishing you a great deal of reward for your effort, energy and time. I was about saying "Make your book available for interested members of the forum" when I saw some excerpt from the book.

I am not sure you rated mine.

Regards

Gbenga

Jeff Alstott

Thank you for your entry, Ajay. I appreciated your many points of reference from cultures all around the world and history!

How do you envision governments or other organizations could encourage scientists to make their work more accessible/play-with-able to more people? Or would there be more of a 'pull' strategy, where the public is more encouraged to do this playing? What are more ways that we can make this happen?

Thanks!

Jeff

James Hoover

Ajay,

Time grows short, so I am revisited those I've read. I find that I rated yours on 5/13. Hope you enjoyed mine.

Jim

Neil Bates

[I thought I had already commented but couldn't find it, sorry for chiming in so late):

Ajay, I agree with you and several other writers (for example, Philip Gibbs) that more amateur and "public" input is needed to generate useful ideas to help us survive. There is another reason to crowd-source ideas: the public is more likely to support measures they helped to form. Also, at the other, individualist end of the scale, seeking out talented amateurs ensures that bright people's concepts are not rejected for reasons of academic caste. (One is reminded of how societies advance when women are allowed to fully participate along with men.) Best wishes for such efforts to expand and bring wider participation.

Luca Valeri

Dear Ajay,

Nice essay. I specially liked your point, that people know how to use gravity without knowing Newtons law.

Good point to make knowledge globally available to be used locally.

How these local economies will cooperate together is left open. Hopefully they will steer humanity to a better future.

Regards

Luca

Ajay Bhatla

Luca,

I couldn't agree more. Thank you.

Best in the competition.

-Ajay

Toby Lightheart

Hi Ajay,

I like the optimism of your entry. Trying to encourage more people to be educated certainly is a worthy goal, and one I am interested in being involved with myself.

Like others, I find myself wondering: how do you propose to get more people to "play with science"? Do you really think that just making the information accessible and available is enough?

Many people in developed countries have access, but no interest; many people in developing countries have interest, but no access. Many people graduating from universities with science degrees don't end up working in science for interest or financial reasons. I think there may be some economic challenges to overcome before it is financially possible for the general public to study and play with science.

Regards,

Toby

Ajay Bhatla

Toby,

Thank you for reading my essay and your comments.

To get to the point where more and more people can play with science, we can follow two tracks, at least:

- have what science knows, available to be found very easily, and

- have people understand that the knowledge in science is knowledge on the natural world around them.

Both if the above address a big issue with science: the intimidation issue holding science use back : science is something I, an ordinary person, cannot hope to understand or use. That's the idea behind my discourse on gravity.,

On interest: the task is to make it easy for the driven, the motivated, the optimistic to not be held back.

Best on your essay,

- Ajay

Lorraine Ford

I'm sorry Ajay,

But it is just fantasy to envisage "7 billion people passionately driven and playing with science", and just fantasy to conjecture "What might these billions make true when they have access to knowledge hidden in the closet called science".

Most people would run a mile rather than have anything to do with detailed scientific knowledge - they just don't have that type of temperament. Also most people need to spend a great deal of their time earning enough money to live, and the rest of the time they need to spend with their family. Not many people have enough time, money, energy, interest or ability to tinker with science and work on solving "humanity's most vexing and intransigent problems". Those that ARE interested, and have the time, money, energy, and ability are probably doing it already. And let's face it: many trained scientists can't even get work.

You say "Imagine what remedies can result from 7 billion people passionately driven and playing with science!" But is it really OK for the "Global Public" to "play" with nuclear materials, potentially poisonous substances, genetic engineering and nanotechnology? I don't think so. Science is NOT "just life by another name".

Lorraine

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