49 · Physicist · Bringing Science to People

‘A scientist becomes a scientist only because they can inherit previous knowledge created by humankind. So it is our responsibility to give it back. You could argue that just by doing science we’re giving back. True, but science can flourish only when people come to it with a rational bent of mind. A scientist does not just believe, but questions, and they should reach out to society to convey how science teaches us to think. Our administrators, who now only count publications, should weigh outreach efforts as well.

‘In science outreach, we shouldn’t just share research facts and figures. More important is to teach how to think scientifically. People may believe a scientist out of authority. That’s not the right reason. The bedrock of science is: don’t believe anything without evidence. We should teach them to question us. ...