As I bent down to pick up today’s morning paper, I looked down the street. It was a little before dawn, and the southeastern Florida sky was beginning to lighten. Venus and waning crescent moon welcomed me to this new day. Shining bright, these orbs in my morning’s sky struck me with wonder. I wondered was that a star or planet? Why was the moon in the morning sky? Does this always happen? A quick scan of the internet answered those questions.
Science is wonder. Science probably started with a How did that happen? Can I make it happen again? How far away is that star? Is that the same star as last night? The wonder is more than a wow factor. It is a finding of fact. Astronomers could have told me that the Moon and Venus would be in the morning sky on 4/22/17 at 6:20 am if my location was 29 degrees N 82 degrees W . This knowledge is a result of theory that has been espoused, tested, proved or disproved leading to law. Yes, law. Law in science requires an empirical process. It is a process that leads to truth. Real scientists believe in law as their guiding principle. The rule of law. Not the rule of interpretation as in the practice of common law.
It is Law that is based on fact. Fact takes a necessary amount of time to prove. It takes logic. It requires the willingness to fail. In fact in science, to prove a theory, it must be able to be falsified.
Mostly, science explains order or harmony. Whether it is the classification of animals, or the table of the elements, or the golden ratio, it reveals the complexity, the interrelatedness, the wonder of our existence.
Many ancient cultures regarded Nature much like a religion. Native Americans worship Natural spirits. The Earth and the stars were held above others. For many of these people, and many people today, science allows us to appreciate nature by providing an explanation of our history, our evolution, our genetic genealogy of who we are. It speaks our truth. It warns us of dangerous practices.
Those who fear the truth, fear science. Doubters of faith often blame science for providing an alternative explanation to their scriptures, but if you love the Earth and all that inhabits it, if you love the Universe, the Milky Way and beyond, you really believe in God and have the true faith.
Let truth be the rule of law.
My Second Act, Scene One 