Science, Not Silence...
Science, not silence...
Science is more than a discipline, it’s a belief system. It’s a way of looking at the world in wonder with insatiable curiosity. Scientists value rationality. They have a healthy sense of skepticism, they are critical thinkers. They are using their time and energy to understand the world and make it a better place.
They deal in evidence and facts.
Not politics and lies.
I am THRILLED to hear that scientists are hearing the same call to action that many other groups are answering in these unsettling times...
The March for Science is a celebration of our passion for science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. Recent policy changes have caused heightened worry among scientists, and the incredible and immediate outpouring of support has made clear that these concerns are also shared by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Mischaracterization of science as a partisan issue, which has given policymakers permission to reject overwhelming evidence, is a critical and urgent matter. It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.
ON APRIL 22, 2017, WE WALK OUT OF THE LAB AND INTO THE STREETS.
We are scientists and science enthusiasts. We come from all races, all religions, all gender identities, all sexual orientations, all socioeconomic backgrounds, all political perspectives, and all nationalities. Our diversity is our greatest strength: a wealth of opinions, perspectives, and ideas is critical for the scientific process. What unites us is a love of science, and an insatiable curiosity. We all recognize that science is everywhere and affects everyone.
Science is often an arduous process, but it is also thrilling. A universal human curiosity and dogged persistence is the greatest hope for the future. This movement cannot and will not end with a march. Our plans for policy change and community outreach will start with marches worldwide and a teach-in at the National Mall, but it is imperative that we continue to celebrate and defend science at all levels - from local schools to federal agencies - throughout the world.
#sciencemarch
MarchofScience.com
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See also my del.icio.us links or my flipboards or many of the content/curation pages on my weebly site... in particular though, one of the greatest scientists of all times comes to mind (Post: Carl Sagan)
And that includes politicians!! In one of my favorite videos of Carl, he speaks about science, politics, and skepticism (here’s the short clip on that).
Op-Ed: Why we need scientists to run for public office now - via Ars Technica
Which is why it’s also exciting to see groups encouraging scientists to run for office....
We are members of the STEM Community, grassroots supporters, and political activists committed to bring innovation to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, aggressively advocate for real solutions to Climate Change and elect more STEM trained candidates to public office.
314Action.org
Update
Sensing New Threats, Scientists Entertain Political Ambitions
Why I’m Marching for Science
In Age of Trump, Scientists Show Signs of a Political Pulse
A lot of Americans don’t know a thing scientist. We need to fix that
Excerpt: This is the battle for the legitimacy of science, a battle we helped create because we still haven’t figured out how to show people what we do, why we do it, and why it’s important. So we’ll march. And then we have to get to work. Going forward, we have to be stewards. We have to share without condescension and be patient and helpful as people balance uncomfortable truths. We have to integrate into our communities as voices on the ground. We’re people who care about the health and well-being of the human race. That’s why we sequester ourselves in our labs working for cures, or in front of computers trying to understand weather patterns, or out in the ocean, gathering samples of water, fish, and plants. But we have to do a better job of communicating if we want the default to be evidence-based policy for us, the people, and not for profit. I hope it’s not too late to reverse our failings.
More Posts from Krillion and Others
Get up, Stand up
Your Guide to the sprawling New anti-Trump Resistance Movement
These are some of the resources from this wonderful article along with other helpful resources I have found online.
Indivisible
A practical guide for resisting the Trump agenda... Former congressional staffers reveal best practices for making Congress listen
5 Calls
Spend 5 minutes, make 5 calls.Calling is the most effective way to influence your representative.
Resistance Manual
Open-source platform to harness the collective power of the people to resist the impact of a Trump presidency and to continue to make progress in our communities. Already, thousands of pieces of content have been contributed to the site from people all over the country, helping to keep communities informed and ready for the work ahead.
Also see
Pussyhat Project
Movement Match
#MarchforScience
#ResistTrumpTuesdays
Town Hall Project- Google Spreadsheet with upcoming events/town hall meetings of appearances made by representatives
What to do when you’re so overwhelmed by the Trump presidency you can barely move
It Seems to Me: What Young Women May Not Know
What the Fuck Just Happened Today
Week 12: Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember. (see links to previous weeks at bottom of the post)
My previous post: Science not Silence
One of the many little thrills of being a part of the Obama campaign four years ago was a deep and abiding sense that, finally, a political leader had come along who could live up to our highest aspirations. Yes, Obama was cool and played basketball and was conversant in ironical youth culture, but when it came down to it, he was overwhelmingly serious. The other guys were hauling unlicensed plumbers onstage and suspending their campaign at the drop of a hat, but Obama kept his eyes on the prize and played the grown-up. Now he's talking about "Romnesia."
#empathy #perspective
A friend of mine posted this on FB today:
"When confronted with someone whose “normal” is not our “normal,” we are forced to confront the most frightening prospect of all: that there is no such thing as “normal.” Just the accidental cultural moment we happened to be born into, a cultural happenstance that never existed before, and will never exist again.
We resist difference because it requires we acknowledge that the culture we grew up with as “normal” is just a momentary accident. It requires we accept that the world we were born into will never be the same as the world we die in. The longer we live, the more we become interlopers, even in our home towns. But, if we’d let it happen, also, the more we will learn.
...someday, someone will look back and think, “Those were the days! That was what was normal!” And that person will be wrong. And that person will be right."
(which, side note, led me here and here, but that’s a story for another occasion)
While another friend of mine emailed me today and talked about having to unfriend someone on FB today because of racist comments on a friend’s timeline related to what’s going on in politics today...
In some respects, I think that tools like Virtual Reality could be a real help in teaching people to learn to acquire a less judgeful and more peaceful mindset-- take a look at this article: The Virtual Reality Renaissance: How Learning in VR Will Inspire Action Like Never Before
... of course, technology is never the panacea, VR could be a great tool in the arsenal of the one thing if anything would help solve this problem--- education...
Education has the power to change the world... that is truly one of my core beliefs...
I’m encouraged by organizations like following as well as articles that I’ve tagged #empathy on delicious
StartEmpathy.org
ActionSprout.io
RootsofEmpathy.org
So while it's very telling that the largest factor of predictors for Trump is education- or lack of education that is- there’s still the hope that rationality will win out...
And if all else fails there’s:
How to move to Canada – Google search spikes after Donald Trump Super Tuesday success
(Phys.org) âWhen NASA's Juno spacecraft flew past Earth on Oct. 9, 2013, it received a boost in speed of more than 8,800 mph (about 7.3 kilometer per second), which set it on course for a July 4, 2016, rendezvous with Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. One of Juno's sensors, a special ...
Gotta check out the animated gif at the top of the page, #awesomeness
Peace or Violence?
Is World History Becoming More Peaceful or More Violent?
Updates:
Ray Kurzweil: The world isn’t getting worse — our information is getting better
Why the World Is Better Than You Think in 10 Powerful Charts
Since the time I was in elementary school I wanted to become a marine biologist to study and swim with sharks. Next summer I’m planning a trip to Australia and for my 40th birthday, *this* is what I plan on doing.... Check out the video here. #dreamvacation
Great Whites circling the “ghost cage” video. This was pretty amazing and would totally love to do this, but with a door that stayed closed!
Some of what I come across on the web... Also check out my Content & Curation site: kristentreglia.com
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