Nullius in Verba

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Scientific Literacy

"One may not be considered to be fully literate if one is scientifically illiterate in the 21st century."
Say why you agree or disagree. 

18 comments:

Daniel Toth said...

I agree, because the trend in todays society is science. Science is the new religion, since more and more people search for new information discovered by scientists.

Unknown said...

I agree, Since the society today relies on technology for example. Less people today use written mail as a way of communication ,instead they use emails and sms to contact one another. People need to keep up with the constant changes in the world of science and technology in order to fit in with the new generation.

Unknown said...

I believe that for one to be literate there are several things we need to consider...
Some people are visually literate meaning that they have the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image but some are technologically/scientifically literate which is the literacy that most people in this century consider "great" and important. i however, do not agree that being scientifically literate means being literate because people are different and interests may also differ leading some people to be more knowledgeable about some things than others!

Shennin said...

Being a literate person is basically being knowledgeable and educated in several fields. The statement mentions being 'fully literate'. Hence a person could be literate to an extent, as there are various fields of being literate but not entirely or wholly. 
Science is one of the major elements or advisors to basically... Life, and it is a vast topic that influences various aspects and a myriad of subjects, being scientifically illiterate is fundamentally compared to merely knowing 40% of the universe. Being simply 40% literate. 

Thus I agree that one may not be considered FULLY literate if one is scientifically illiterate specially since we live in the 21st century where almost everything  coincides with science.

Anonymous said...

Oh, for sure. Considering we are at a time in humanity's history where science and technology is increasingly at a geometric rate, it is not just important, it's NECESSARY to be up to date. You either join in or you get left behind in the grand scheme of things.

But again, that's also comparative. We're lucky enough to be literate in the traditional sense. Others don't necessarily have that luxury and for them, it's just baby steps. If you're privileged enough, however, to be able to work on your scientific literacy, then by all means, it's your DUTY to the human race, as a human being, to know all you can.

Anonymous said...

I beleive to that you can not simply say to be fully literate you must be scientifically literate. In the full sense of it, if you must be scientifically literate, then you must also be musically, artistically, poetically, historically, politically, economically and the list can go on and on. Because although I must admit that science does play a key role in the 21st century, other factors intermingle just as well.
It is often said that before you can understand the present, you must first understand how you got there. So to think of it to be 'fully'literate in the scope of this question goes for beyond the boundaries of science and english literacy, but it has to be grand scope of everything.

EdelineD said...

I love Shaday's answer.
But yes I do believe that to be fully literate you need to be scientifically literate. Our race is racing toward technology, science and the mysteries we ponder that can only be solved by science one day and to not speak the language of the 'now' and the future, one CANNOT and will not be considered literate.

Momminah said...

It is indeed true that one needs to be scientifically literate to be considered fully literate, especially in today's generation. Almost everything these days relies on technology and science, which continues to expand by the day. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with everything if one does not have the knowledge about technology, and so it is extremely important to be scientifically literate. Work, school, socializing- what doesn't require technology or science? It has become a necessity.

Unknown said...

Yes, I do agree. Being scientifically literate is highly important in the 21st century. New findings are being discovered day and night, and if we as a whole, are not aware of them, then who should be? The world is growing rapidly, and most of this is due to science and to be knowledgeable about all the new exciting things would only be a benefit to us.

Marwan said...

There's definitely an emphasis on the importance of science in the modern world so I would agree. To be considered "fully literate" you need to be knowledgeable in all topics relevant in the 21st century and science is definitely up there.

Sophia Rajani said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sophia Rajani said...

One may not be considered to be fully literate if one is scientifically illiterate in the 21st century." I do agree with this statement to a certain extent, technology is moving fast there are various new innovations being presented, cures and etc however a person not well informed or scientifically illiterate cannot just be labelled "FULLY ILLITERATE" as there may be various other fields where the person may excel in though neither can they be said to be 'fully literate'. However being scientifically literate just makes life easier for the person and gives them a chance to know amazing and intriguing information and ideas that they may have otherwise not known.

Unknown said...

I agree with this statement, because, in our daily lives, every action we do, every choice we have and every decision we make relies on Technology and cognititve thinking. It is no more the 70's, where being presentable is having a appearance. Now its about how intellegent we are, and how much we try to increase our capacity of taking in knowledge. We are in the Age of Information, everything relies on it.

javier said...

Now days been literate doesnt exactly mean that you have a good base of knowledge in actual literature but that you are a well informed person,in sectors such as technology since now days it is the main source of our race. Technology its in everywhere now, even in homeworks. So answering the question i would say i dont truly agree since science is also in part of the literature,i dont say it is its base, but i can say its the base of almost everything known, and that surround us from a simple chair to the great wall of china, which has brought people attention and surely the feeling of writing about it.(just an example)

javier said...

Now days been literate doesnt exactly mean that you have a good base of knowledge in actual literature but that you are a well informed person,in sectors such as technology since now days it is the main source of our race. Technology its in everywhere now, even in homeworks. So answering the question i would say i dont truly agree since science is also in part of the literature,i dont say it is its base, but i can say its the base of almost everything known, and that surround us from a simple chair to the great wall of china, which has brought people attention and surely the feeling of writing about it.(just an example)

Benedickte said...

Definitely. Like everyone has already mentioned, everything today relies on technology. Everything relies on science. Of course we all are literate in all the fields (musically, artistically etc) at different levels, but I agree that to be considered "fully" literate, we have to be scientifically literate.

Unknown said...

I agree with that only to an extent as I do not believe that being fully literate means having all knowledge of science and technology. Many people are intellectual and known to be fully literate, however, the have no knowledge whatsoever of the sciences of today. I think that this is where multiple intelligence comes into play.
Moreover, it is important to have an idea of the science and technology of today, but not as much to be considered illiterate if one does not posses it.

Unknown said...

To be fully literate, we all must be scientifically illiterate to fully understand experiments and explain the basic facts that will occur in our lives. I do agree with this statement because without science, we may never be able to discover what lies ahead of us. With the help of the advanced technology, we are given the opportunity to enhance our multitasking skills and find our own way of thinking and how we give reviews based on the knowledge that we have gained through the years of learning.