The Value Of Science By Lewin, And The Search, By Sagan

The endless possibilities for adventures and discoveries that the sky provides has always intrigued the human race. Today, spatial agencies even develop advanced technologies to simply observe the darkness of nothingness. What is the purpose? Why they spend considerable amount of money for scientific researches that may lead to nowhere? The answers lie in these three following chapters: "The Value of Science" by Feyman, "Ways of Seeing" by Lewin, and "The Search" by Sagan. In their chapter, the authors use comparison, irony and rhetorical questions to show that the purpose of science is to satisfy human's natural curiosity.
Feynman and Lewin use comparison to place the intrinsic value of science over its instrumental value; like art, it is
Fortunately, nature is an endless source of mysteries since science is a constant search for knowledge. Sagan introduces his chapter with an epigraph that contradicts with his conclusion: "Without knowing what I am and why I am here, life is impossible" (Sagan 213). Using this epigraph, he deceives the readers to think that humans must know absolutely the answers to these questions. Then, he partially supports the epigraph: "If we don't find life literally impossible without answering that question, at least its difficulties increase"(213). This sentence is ambiguous because it does not say if humans should only try to get some partial answers or must have the absolute answers. However, Sagan concludes later that "if [humans] ever reach the point where [they] think [they] thoroughly understand who [they] are and where [they] came from, [they] will have failed" (221). In other words, if humans think they know everything, they will stop being curious. The contradiction between the initial epigraph and Sagan's conclusion leads to the paradoxical title "The Search"(213). Humans must keep in mind that what is important is to keep searching even if it is impossible to know everything since, as Faynman says, "with more knowledge comes a deeper, more wonderful mystery" (Feynman 243). The title refers to science, because it shows
Science is closely linked with discourse as its knowledge is transmitted through communication. Therefore, one must adopt an humble attitude when trying to inform or to convince someone else. Lewin demonstrates this positive attitude in his teaching: "Whenever students ask a question, I always say, 'that's an excellent question.' The absolute last thing you want to do is make them feel they're stupid and you're smart"(Lewin 210). Undeniably, one "must admit frankly that [he] do[es] not know" (Feynman 247) everything, and always be open to the thinkings of others. According to Feynman, this scientific attitude is almost absent in the modern society: "Is no one inspired by our present picture of the universe? This value of science remains unsung by singers: you are reduced to hearing not a song or poem, but an evening lecture about it. This is not yet a scientific age"(244). Similarly, Sagan says: "We have Ten Commandments in the West. Why is there no commandment exhorting us to learn?"(Sagan 217). The authors use these unanswerable questions to persuade the readers that there is no reason to not question upon everything. In addition, by asking the reader, "How could you be expected to do very well if you knew only one language?"(221), Sagan asserts that humanity will not progress if humans are only restricted to what they know. Although humans'