08 MAY 2011 by ideonexus
Science is a Profound Source of Spirituality
In its encounter with Nature, science invariably elicits a sense of reverence and awe. The very act of understanding is a celebration of joining, merging, even if on a very modest scale, with the magnificence of the Cosmos. And the cumulative worldwide build-up of knowledge over time converts science into something only a littles short of a trans-national, trans-generational meta-mind. [...] Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we r...Science instills a sense of awe and reverence, much like religion instills in its followers.
04 MAY 2011 by ideonexus
Mistrust arguments from authority
One of the great commandments of science is, 'Mistrust arguments from authority'. (Scientists, being primates, and thus given to dominance hierarchies, of course do not always follow this commandment.) Too many such arguments have proved too painfully wrong. Authorities must prove their contentions like everybody else. This independence of science, its occasional unwillingness to accept conventional wisdom, makes it dangerous to doctrines less self-critical, or with pretensions to certitude. ...One of the "great commandments of science."