Science Never Sucks!
�Science never sucks! It can push, it can pull, but it will never, ever suck. Nope. Nuh uh! Physically impossible. Ma nature won�t let it happen. Suckus impossibleus.� Okay, maybe Professor Heir Pressure wasn�t quite as deep and eloquent as William Shakespeare, and maybe a statement on the front of someone�s T-shirt wasn�t quite the best source for an introductory quotation in an oratory. But, I must contend that Heir Pressure was right in his statements. Science is at the very core of human existence. Throughout the course of mankind�s history, people have been persecuted, burned at the stake, patted on the back, glorified, and stupefied because of science. Yet even though science encompasses the realm of our existence, it has become but a small thread in the tapestry of national events. I am here to bestow to you compelling testimony first, on the essential challenges of science, second, why our future is inevitably intertwined with science, and third, the current dilemma which we face. Finally, like any good orator, or any bad orator for that matter, I will divulge the solutions so that you don�t have to do any thinking whatsoever after this speech.
�We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained . . . We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win . . .� With those words, President Kennedy set forth a precedent which culminated in the dawning of a new era--the era of space travel. The challenge of space travel was the focal point of science in the 1960s. It tested the limits of the human spirit. And we Americans not only passed that test, we conquered it. That goal of space travel which seemed out of reach twenty years before Kennedy�s tenure in office unified the country, gave us insight into and knowledge about the universe, enhanced the education system, and illustrated our talents to the rest of the world. So you see, science isn�t just about gathering information; it is about going beyond what we thought was possible. It is about challenging us and pressing us to our limits. The undertaking of any challenge, whether it is reaching up to the stars or voyaging into the unknown depths of the ocean, only enhances our abilities. Aside from enhancing our abilities, challenges improve other areas as well. When scientists undertook the enormous challenge of optimizing communication and created a prototype of the Internet, they didn�t only improve that communication. But they opened up new avenues of possibilities which had neither been conceived nor achieved. Not only scientists benefited, but education, business, politics, computer companies, and anyone who has ever created a web page, benefited. E-mail has revolutionized the writing industry. We no longer have to buy a 32 cent stamp or pay a long distance phone bill in order to keep in touch with people. Since we write on a daily basis, our usage of the language is theoretically strengthened. Science is our ongoing challenge. Through aspiring to achieve our ambitions, we improve. That is precisely what Kennedy was talking about when he wanted us to go to the moon because it was hard. Through those immense challenges, science improves us.
Manifest destiny. That was the 1800s term used to describe the fact that it was both necessary and proper to expand westwardly. Now, it is also a point of fact that we must expand. However, today our goal should not be expanding our territory or even expanding our waistline, but it ought to be expanding our mind, opening it up to new possibilities. At our core, human beings have a basic need to dream. Science is very much a part of that dream. Those who came before us conceived the absurd ideas that a computer could fit into a closet and would weigh only one and a half tons, and that one day we could use our vast knowledge of physics to create flying machines that would fly all the way up to three hundred feet. We have progressed so far, and made so many of our dreams become realities, that these dreams seem rather simple now. That is one thing we all need to realize: Through science, the dreams of today become the realities of tomorrow. The advanced scientific tools of the present become the children�s toys of the future. Science is what progresses the human race. It is what embeds those �far out� ideas within our soul, with which we generate the future. That is why science is our own manifest destiny. It is necessary and proper that we continue to use the tool which got us here. Our lives are so much better because people have had those crazy ideas. By setting a target and aiming for our dreams we have something to strive for. And by using science in order to achieve these goals, we can enjoy the sweet smell of success. Science is a very influential aspect of humanity, and it will continue to be so in the undiscovered country, our future.
Now that you know how influential science is in our lives and how much it affects us, it is time to move to the problems which we face. The two great problems of science deal with how it is being viewed. Science no longer embodies the things that we might not be able to do; instead, it has become the frequent test of the things that we know we can easily achieve. Science now is too routine and thus is not a rallying cry of the people anymore. We constantly send people safely back and forth from Earth to space using the space shuttle, conducting tests which are boring to the general public. And we send unmanned probes throughout the solar system, collecting data which is equally boring. We also experiment on our planet, but very few people hear about those ventures. This is the first problem: Science is not electrifying people anymore. Since our science programs are not exciting, the programs are losing their support. The second problem is the fact that science is no longer receiving the media attention that it needs in order to interest people. The science programs which once filled a substantial portion of any newscast are only being used when a station needs a quick forty-five second time filler. As a result, very few Americans know the tasks that science is currently undertaking. I bet you didn�t know that in 1996, Colorado University scientists cooled liquid helium to one millionth of one degree Celsius above absolute zero. When they poured the concoction out of their container, it fell up to the ceiling rather than down to the floor. That was a startling discovery contrary to the known laws of physics, yet many people never even knew about it.
The underlying question is, �What can be done about these problems?� These two problems are unique, in that by finding a solution to one, the second problem will solve itself. One way to rectify these setbacks is to give the American public a reason to back science with all their might. All this would require is to do something difficult that we have never done before. Currently, many of our scientific endeavors focus on easy things that we haven�t done yet. By undertaking a formidable task, science will get more attention. Another way to give people a reason to back science is to make it more exciting to them. As I previously mentioned, we are currently sending unmanned probes into space. To increase the excitement, why not have a manned mission to Mars? Or, why not man a small colony on the moon? The key word is �manned.� Sending automatons into space just isn�t as thrilling as sending humans into space. I already told you what landing on the moon did for America; imagine how people would react to news of a mission that was twice as challenging and twice as exhilarating. With the increased public support that would result from such a mission, the media would have to increase science�s publicity in order to keep pace with other news programs. So the second problem would be solved. The second way to solve the problem is to do it in reverse order. If the media generated enough public attention, people would see the astonishing advancements that science is endeavoring to achieve. If we actually knew about these advancements that have helped maintain our culture, science would seem more exciting to us. The solutions are not limited.
In our voyage into the benefits and problems of science, we have discovered many things. Science is an essential aspect of our lives. It has made our lives much more enjoyable. I do confess that it sometimes makes our lives more complicated. The guys in the room know how incredibly difficult it is to look in between the couch cushions and in the corners of a room for the TV remote, something created thanks to science. The danger of science creates further complications, but the risks involved are something that makes science interesting. The benefits we receive from science far outweigh any complications it causes. Without science, we fail to have an easier life, we fail to be challenged, and we fail to dream. In short, we cease to be human. Our ongoing mission in life isn�t the politics, entertainment, or even giving oratories. But it is exploring the unknown possibilities of existence. So, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The evidence is insurmountable. Science is challenging. Science is beneficial. Science is fun. And most importantly, science never sucks. It can push, it can pull, but it will never, ever suck. The very idea of science sucking is ridiculous. Inconceivable. Impossible. It can�t happen. It won�t happen. So there!