FF Podcast (Audio): Dr. Reina Reyes on Our Need for Science Literacy and Advocacy [2018.06.09]

More than 20 years ago, I was in the Philippines, spending much time in Northern Luzon as well as Metro Manila. The rural schools I saw lacked basics taken for granted in American schools. For example, Bunsen burners for simple chemistry lab experiments, refrigerators to store plant and animal tissue samples, and personal computers. Even a good school library was often lacking. I hope public high schools are better equipped these days, and colleges and universities as well. While scientific textbooks are essential, simple tools and equipment help students participate in the discovery and understanding of the world around them. I imagine that Philippine STEM teaching may occasionally run up against opposing views from the influential Catholic Church in your country, but there really is no need for conflict. The Church in the U.S. accepts the validity of science, the necessity to interpret some passages of the Bible as allegorical rather than literal, and the role science plays in understanding the world and universe, and the role religion and faith play in the a priori origins of the universe and its ultimate unraveling. I bought a Christian Community Bible: Catholic Pastoral Edition at a Paulist bookstore in Manila. A fantastic Bible, complete with explanations about the originals of the universe (Big Bang) and the evolution of life on Earth. I believe scientific inquiry and the Church can coexist in your country. Back here in the U.S., we have had some reversals in scientific progress by our misguided Christian conservatives opposing evolution, the Big Bang Theory, and reproductive rights. Keep fighting for the advancement of science. Ultimately, truth will prevail.