I have forgotten who it was who said it. He said that not only is the universe strange but that it is stranger than we can imagine! The more I read about cosmology, the more this sense of strangeness grows on me, until I begin to wonder if it is the universe which is strange or whether it is not even stranger that the majority of the people that I encounter in the hustle and bustle of the "real" world are living in complete ignorance of what our best scientists are telling us and thus continuing each in their own way, their narrow minded squabbles as to who should get what, where, when and how and whose ideas correspond more to what they believe to be the "truth" and their own warped ideas about such "big" questions as to what is the "ultimate" meaning of life, what is the Nature of God, whether Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Capitalism, Socialism, Liberalism, Decracracy and whatever other "isms" one cares to devote himself to, which country is more righteous or simply more powerful, or which deserves more to be heard or obeyed and the even more petty strife, fears, anxieties, anger, jealousies, slights, "injustices" , personal pains and sufferings on when, how they might have been "wronged" by their parents, chidlren, husbands, wives, friends, colleagues, bosses, subordinates, or "enemies" or simply how to get ahead in the rat race for more money, fame, power, influence, or for the humbler struggle for more "attention" or in short, to get what they think they rightly "deserve"!
When we consider the scale of that scientists habitually confront in cosmology, somehow, we begin to get another "perspective". If that is so, should we not begin thinking making cosmology if not an "obligatory" part of high school or college education, at least one of the electives? Enough irrelevant grumbles!
When we consider the scale of that scientists habitually confront in cosmology, somehow, we begin to get another "perspective". If that is so, should we not begin thinking making cosmology if not an "obligatory" part of high school or college education, at least one of the electives? Enough irrelevant grumbles!
But there are so much to learn. It's all a matter of priority. Afterall, all knowledge share somesimilarities to some extent. I know I am generalizing......
回覆刪除Yes you're right. So much to learn, so little time. To me, there is nothing more fascinating than learning. You titillate your brain and may even gain some insight to boot! I feel sorry for those who don't thirst after knowledge.
回覆刪除"You titillate your brain and may even gain some insight to boot! I feel sorry for those who don't thirst after knowledge. "
回覆刪除Totally agreed!
Your idea of integrating cosmology into high school or college is brilliant!
回覆刪除I support your idea.
Should they have "philosophy" study in high school too?
[版主回覆06/14/2010 09:05:00]Yes. They should do that too. In fact, do you know that to pass the French Baccalaureat, which is the equivalent of our matriculation, all students must pass "philosophy" and in American colleges, usually "Introduction to philosophy" or "philosophy 101) and "Introduction to astronomy" or "Astronomy 101" are regularly offered as part of the first two years of a liberal arts college programme, students having to declare their majors on in the third year!
In fact, I remember that in France, to assist the students, the Presses Universitares de France (PUF) have prepared an excellent series of introductory texts on all the different academic subjects including philosophy and astronomy written by specialists in easily understandable everyday language giving the essential elements of each subject. The series goes under the general collection entitled "Que sais-je" (or What do I know") . I do not know why we don't have this in HK. I suppose one of the principal reasons might be that those holding the purse strings of our univeristies are now businessmen,bankers and property merhants whose vision and whose reading extend little beyond their bank books, the explanatory notes of their profit and loss accounts, balance sheet and directors report in their annual reports. Narrow visions can only produce narrow brains!
回覆刪除