The idea behind EducereX

Can Science contribute to improve human condition?

This question may sound easy to answer when we think about how technology improves human life. However, this is just part of the answer. Someone may recall that some of the most important physicists contributed to create the atomic bomb, which may have extinguished human kind from the earth.

So, is science good or bad?

I personally think that this simple question is an important one in the modern society. Although nobody would ever criticize the kind of research that aims to cure cancer, many discussions rise when in vitro fertilization, genetic modified organisms (GMO) or evolution are debated. Science and scientists are still pointed at suspiciously by the society. This is because the scientific knowledge, which often is not fully understood by the community, impacts against some established ethical values originated in the past when certain knowledges were not available. As all scientists know, science is not bad or good but it’s objective. Science is looking for answers. The true science is inspired by curiosity. Science describes the nature as it is. Science doesn’t demonstrate ethical principle. What makes science good or bad is how human being uses that knowledge.

Can scientific knowledge help to postulate ethical principles?

In the preface of “Chance and Necessity”, Jacques Monod pointed out the importance to distinguish between the ideas suggested by science and science itself. As previously said, science objectively describes reality without judging if it is good or bad: “The first scientific postulate is the objectivity of nature: nature does not have any intention or goal”. But knowing the reality allows us to propose ideas and ethical principles that are based on objective knowledge. These ideas may crash against the common view of ethics, politics and religion, but give more responsibility to the human being that is author of his good or his bad.

EducereX is the place where I would like to develop the ideas based on knowledge: the ethics of knowledge (so well introduced by Jacques Monod). I would like to explain the scientific achievements to the community and expand together the conclusions, even if they will impact against establishments and prejudices . This will be hard and long (as Einstein said: it’s easier to break an atom than a prejudice) but I’m confident that the power of  justified ideas will be approached by men, which will be responsible of their destiny.

Here I leave you with an interview of Jacques Monod that has been done after he was awarded with the Nobel Prize:

http://www.vega.org.uk/video/real/156