Science Culture

The 29th Annual Scientific Meeting spearheaded by the National Academy Science and Technology - which was held last Wednesday and Thursday, took on the theme, "Building a Science Culture in the Philippines". Yes, that was the theme with which they sought to anchor a very important problem - 'How do we sell science?'. It was a very fruitful scientific meeting of course. I thought that perhaps two gazillion thought-bullets were fired during the two-day meeting.

The speakers were all brilliant. Ms. Cheche Lazaro spoke about what role the media can play in making science palatable to the common tao. She noted a thoughtful observation of the linguistic situation of science being so ivory towerish - one that is understood only by the likes of Dr. Dela Cruz... and never by the likes of Juan Dela Cruz. For which reason, science has logically become the antithesis... the anti-gravity of everything that is fun and exciting. I thought that perhaps I am most guilty of this practice of rendering the teaching of science with the sophistication of scientific technicality. But I also think that perhaps I am justified in my belief that if science is to be appreciated, then it must be appreciated for what it is... a highly technical subject that draws inspiration from its mathematical exactness. Majority in the meeting though, thought otherwise... And I think that's good.

Academician Bernido was very inspiring on his talk about how to make the teaching of Physics fun and exciting. Yes, the buzzword it seems during the entire meeting is how to make science and scientific interactions 'fun and exciting'. I thought that perhaps, their school's 'no homework policy' is itself already fun and exciting enough to the students. I wonder though if that policy is going to work for Bereans. Opposition to this policy was of course rightly fired by a representative of Ateneo's Math Department whose policy is to give daily homeworks. There's more of course to Dr. Bernido's talk which centered on the development in the students of a high level of creativity.

So how do we build a culture of science in the Philippines?

The scientific meeting of course can only offer so much... but much still remain as regard the manner and plan with which to get this campaign started. As one philosopher-speaker in the meeting asked, 'What do you think?'. If two gazillion thought-bullets were fired during that two-day meeting, at least two have managed to hit the target. One - that science is the least popular subject among the common tao, and Two - that science has to be made to look sexy for the same population of common tao to eventually get to appreciate science's discourse. Again, what do you think"

Fr. Nebres was the keynote speaker and he's all for the belief that if science is to be made a culture in the Philippines then we start with a population of thinking citizens. Now, what do you think?