Thoughts on science and culture following the death of Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking was an incredible scientist and said a lot of interesting things. One of the things he did that was most valuable was make science interesting to non-scientists and relevant in pop-culture. In the wake of his death, his quotes are making the rounds on social media. From my perspective as a biologist, the two most-often shared Hawking quotes this week are the worst choices to be broadly disseminated among non-scientists. 1) "Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious." Astrophysics is rad, but also there are SO MANY things going on under your feet we still don't understand. Turn over a rock. Look at a salamander or an insect or a lichen. Honestly, just look at the rock. You can be curious about why we're here in such a more direct, accessible way than is implied by this quote, taken out of context. There are a ton of ways to be a scientist, or just a cur...