In our angry MAHA times, how can we get people trusting science and scientists again. According to MIT’s Alan Lightman, one of America’s greatest scientific writers, we need to both demystify science and humanize scientists. Lightman is the co-author, with Martin Rees, of The Shape of Wonder, a timely collection of essays about how scientists think, work, and live. We need to learn from scientists like Albert Einstein, Lightman - himself the author of the 1993 classic Einstein’s Dreams, suggests. He argues that Einstein's "naive" willingness to challenge millennia of thinking about time exemplifies the wonder that drives great science. Lightman discusses why scientists have become entangled with "elite establishments" in our populist moment, and argues that critical scientific thinking—from balancing checkbooks to diagnosing a child's fever—belongs to everyone, not just scientists. So make America smart again (MASA), by demystifying science and humanizing scientists.
1. "Naive" questioning drives breakthrough science Einstein revolutionized physics at 26 by refusing to accept millennia of received wisdom about time—showing that great science requires childlike willingness to challenge fundamental assumptions.
2. Scientists are victims of populist backlash The mistrust of science isn't really about science—it's part of a global populist movement against "elite establishments," fueled by social media, immigration fears, and growing wealth inequality.
3. Wonder requires discipline, not just awe Unlike a child's wonder, scientific wonder comes with tools—both experimental and theoretical—for actually understanding how things work, making it "disciplined wonder."
4. Scientists shouldn't be authorities beyond science Even Einstein or Nobel laureates like Geoffrey Hinton have no special authority on ethics, philosophy, or politics—they're just smart people with opinions like everyone else.
5. Critical thinking belongs to everyone When you balance your checkbook or diagnose a child's fever, you're using scientific thinking. Science isn't an elite activity—it's a method we all already practice in daily life.
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