Protons
and electrons won’t ever become gods though they are the fundamental truths of
existence. Atoms and molecules don’t stir human emotions. Hence it is hard for
science to offer transcendent meanings to man.
Science
is usually seen as knowledge rather than wisdom. Science helps us to understand
the physical reality around us. It helps us to manage all that reality for our
welfare and progress. Without science, mankind would not have conquered the
great peaks of excellence. All our skyscrapers and flyovers, submarines and
space capsules, smartphones that carry whole universes in them, are gifts of
science. Without science, we would have been little better than the savage that
descended from the tree and started walking erect on two legs instead of four millennia
ago. Science keeps the world moving ahead, at breakneck speed. Science is the
lifeblood of progress and development. Yet science fails to satisfy the human
soul. The soul does not live by facts alone. The soul needs certain fictions
too. The soul has imagination.
Science
is founded on reason, logic, facts, experiments, proofs and what we call
objectivity. It can give us the rules and regulations that govern everything in
the universe. It can tell us how and why the planets move the way they do. It
can tell us why the stars twinkle. It can even transport us to the outer
spaces. And there, in those vast endless spaces, we will seek our gods. Science
doesn’t proffer us those gods we seek desperately. We need the gods. The gods
give supernatural colours to our bland existence.
“The
most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious,” said one of the
greatest scientists that we ever had, Albert Einstein. Mystery “is the
fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science,” He
went on to say.
Science
need not stop at the microcosmic subatomic particles or the billionth galaxy
out there light years away. Science can stir the depths of our spiritual
longings. Einstein knew how to do that. He stood in awe before what he called “the
eternal riddle”, the cosmos whose meaning he sought to understand. The pursuit
of that meaning gave him “inner freedom”.
Most
people chain themselves with the rubrics and rituals given by their religions
and gods. Without those gods and rituals, the ordinary man would be smothered
by his greed and pride, lust and sloth, envy and gluttony. Chains are required
to keep these inner demons under control.
Science
liberates, not enchains. Knowledge is a great liberator. Knowledge can throw
open the floodgates of the mysterious fountains of wisdom. But people fail to
see beyond atoms and molecules. When science points at the billionth galaxy, we
end up looking at the pointing fingertip.
“Atoms
make up everything. Beauty of a living thing is the way those atoms are put
together,” said Carl Sagan, one of the greatest votaries of science. Science
can disclose those beauties. Unfortunately, we have compartmentalised science
as a bundle of bland facts and formulas.
If
we can go beyond our pragmatic approach to science, we will be able to discover
the music that plays in protons and electrons, in the Pole Star and the Great
Bear. Then science can give us a whole new range of meanings. “Heard melodies
are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter,” said the Romantic poet Keats. The
unheard melodies are lying within the electrons of your very being, waiting to
be discovered by you.
This post is the 4th in a
series on Meaning of Life.
3rd: Career
and Meaning
5th will be: Literature
and Meaning
It was wonderful reading your views. Yes science is meant to liberate us because knowledge is liberating.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Purba. I'm intoxicated with pursuit of knowledge.
DeleteThat's actually deep
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteWe are fortunate to belong to an era where the boundaries between pure science and pure arts is blurring every day. Your post resonates with the same thoughts. It is always a delight to read your posts Sir.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that, friend.
DeleteI love Science and the way you described, is amazing. Beautiful correlation between spirituality and Science.
DeleteGlad you got that connection.
DeleteQuantum physics is the science of knowledge & wisdom.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is a good take on real and surreal.
There is something surreal in the world of quantum physics. Scientists like Fritjof Capra have written much about that.
DeleteWow! Mesmerising! Every sentence is thought provoking. Took a long time reading this!
ReplyDeleteDelighted to get such appreciation.
DeleteTrue! Science liberates us but there is much more which science still has to discover and science doesn't believe what hasn't been discovered. But it doesn't mean that the unproven facts are wrong. As Right Brothers were mocked for their airplane theory first!I agree knowledge liberates us but don't agree that only scientific knowledge liberates us.#SrishtiReads #MyFriendAlexa
ReplyDeleteThe greatest thing about science, arguably, is its openness to the unknown. Science doesn't believe, science probes and discovers. What remains beyond its purview is kept pending until science is capable of probing it. Science admits its own errors as more discoveries are made.
DeleteThough this was a short post but it had so much of meaning! It took me a while to process everything. This is pretty thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteTo provoke thinking is one of the missions I have taken up on myself. Glad I'm succeeding and thank you for telling me that.
DeleteVery well said sir! Makes one question the futility of beliefs and accepting things as they are said to be. Knowledge sets one free, and raises us above the limitations of the mundane.
ReplyDeleteI wrote in an earlier post about the validity of religion too. But religion is quite limited. Science opens up new frontiers.
DeleteQuite profound. Science for me has been a water tight compartment, only for comprehending certain processes but your post makes me think on lines of adding meaning to it.
ReplyDeleteFritjof Capra is a physicist who wrote about the mystical possibilities in science. Carl Sagan is purely scientific.
DeleteScience becomes mechanical when we think only about benefitting from the knowledge it imparts. Deep thinkers are the philosophers who merge pleasure with science.
ReplyDelete#MyFriendAlexa
#AditiReads
aditikapur.com
I'm all for scientific foundations for our philosophical thinking.
DeleteScience and God are yes two intriguing identities that have been designated by man. We should try and find the music between the movement of protons.
ReplyDeleteThat music is precisely the meaning of our life for us. Religion may help some people discover that music. Science helps some others. There are other possibilities too as I'm writing in this series.
DeleteProton and electron is just starting
ReplyDeletenanotechnology is the future
And here we are starting to search anti matter too
Science can't be the God bit ot is somthing equally powerful
This is not about protons and electrons any more than about god. This is about meaning in life; how science can help one discover that. There are scores of subatomic particles under protons and neutrons. If we go on dissecting that way, the very concept of 'basic building blocks' will have no meaning. Science then becomes mystical!
DeleteWow you have a very fascinating blog. Science just keeps getting better the more we discover it and here you have spoken of all frms of atoms, protons and electrons. #MyFriendAlexa #ShubhraReads
ReplyDeleteThe music of protons and electrons, rather. The meaning of life lies there in that music.
DeleteAll thanks to MyFriendAlexa, I am able to stumble upon your blog, which is too good and your views on the meaning of life, the science, antimatter, everything is really good and thougt provoking. Seriously the best blog to chew upon I would say
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteMade me think about the subject and change my views to a certain extent. Good luck and happy Alexa to you.
ReplyDeleteThis process, thanks to theblogchatter.com, is already doing wonders to my Alexa Rank. Thank you for the wishes.
DeleteScience gives us freedom but spirituality has importance also.
ReplyDeleteScience invents things later but spirituality proves it first.
According to me science and spirituality can do wonders both.
#TraptiReads #MyFriendAlexa
This series is not about which is better, spirituality or science. It's about which gives meaning to different people. Do read the entire series if you can find time.
DeleteYour thoughts about God, science and life are thought provoking. It is a delight to read the posts and ponder about it. The essence of life with science and spirituality is similar yet so different.
ReplyDeleteGalileo, when asked by the church to recant his scientific discoveries and theories, said, "The Bible teaches how to go to heaven; science teaches how the heavens go." Nevertheless, this series of mine argues that both science and religion can be helpful in making sense of life.
DeleteManisha - It was good to read your views. There is a lot of food for thought in this, lot to understand and lot to debate about.
ReplyDeleteDebate is welcome.
DeleteWonderfully written, you have weaved a lovely touch between science and belief. I am pragmatic however, traditions/rituals also have huge importance in life I feel.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to belittle traditions and rituals.
DeleteTrue and absolutely spot on. Emotions are so deep within humanity, but whereas science keeps changing. In my view, you could call it the inertia of humanity. We prefer to keep things constant, but science is a big variable around it and religions, gods and emotions a constant. So I guess it is natural for people to be fond of the constants. Science said we were alone in this universe, but now it has changed its statement. But gods are said to be up above and can't be seen by any living humans, that's the end of arguments. See how complex is science when compared with religions and gods.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about science is perhaps its candid openness to new truths. There's no hubris of infallibility in science.
DeleteAgree science helps to make our life more meaningful That’s intriguing read Loved the post and writing style.
ReplyDeleteWhere did this go wrong, I wonder.
DeleteI love it where you wrote that Science liberates and not enchains, but we need to understand that so does religion and spirituality. This is a very insightful post written wonderfully. Thanks for sharing. #MyFriendAlexa #CloudandSunshineReads
DeleteThe write up is too deep. Very well written.
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