Skip to main content

Science and The Fabric of Society


Science and The Fabric of Society

The past two years have been very enlightening to all of us. Many of our beliefs have been shaken and so have our false assumptions shattered. 

We have always been a society-driven species. Our existence has been fueled by the warmth and care that our fellow beings and our loved ones extend to us. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened the walls of fear and alienation among us. The tactile sensation, the warm and friendly hug, which is a sure sign of assurance and trust, transformed itself into a serious threat. Society was perceived as a threat to itself and we have witnessed and re-lived history.

There have been tremendous losses, losses at personal and global scales, some being exponential. For many, there was a fight for time and a fight for survival. The human species, which is known to change the landscape of this mighty Earth, suddenly started starving for oxygen, one of the most abundant elements available to us.  

In such an unpredictable environment, the social fabric was strengthened by advances in science and technology. All eyes around the world were fixed on the warriors in laboratories, in hospitals, and in criticare centers. Faith moves mountains, as it is said. Surely, the faith in our scientific endeavors has brought in a better understanding of the looming mortal danger. It has also strengthened our belief in our fight for survival. It has also assured us that we need to live responsibly and that society can be saved by the selfless assistance of Society itself. 

Science all over the world has never been so busy. People of all walks have seen the efforts put in by scientists and researchers all over the world. There was an intensive effort to generate and administer vaccines to people. Also, the reinforcement of the fundamentals of healthy living and clean habits was very impressive.

Some do believe that this fanfare was an over-estimate of the threat posed by the virus. The mortality rates of many existing diseases outweigh the loss of life that has occurred during this pandemic. But don’t you think it is important to question your efforts? Society has, like always, questioned the assumptions made by science. Society has been closely watching the claims of science. The mask and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) has managed to bring to light our new ‘Avatars’, but this has not deterred the spirit of reasoning in our society.

There is a strange but useful communication between science and society. They check each other. They ensure that one does not rise egoistically above the other. Society is always skeptical of the advances of science. Science on the other hand proves its worth by generating hard and truthful facts related to the various questions raised by society.

This pandemic has proven once again that this interrelatedness, this warp, and weft of belief and reasoning make our society strong. It gives our society an opportunity to ridicule the inertia of science and force it to accelerate to new domains of excellence, service to nature, and strengthen this fabric of faith and life.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Prashant S. Ratnaparkhi

HoD and Assistant Professor

Department of Life Science and Biochemistry

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Begin…

  What does a fresh page smell like? Hope, maybe.  Anxiety too, with a dash of curiosity. Maybe, it smells like manifestation, like something quietly waiting to become real. What’s the weight of a new beginning? Heavier than it looks.  The page isn't blank; it's crinkled by the past.  Legacies. Lessons. Quiet scars. Loud dreams.  It holds the pressure of making a point, of continuing something that mattered, even if no one claps. Of daring to start again. As we step into the unknowns of tomorrow, we pause. To reflect. To remember. To ask: what does this beginning mean to us? New beginnings are overwhelming. There’s just so much I want to do, so many ways to go about chasing these dreams, and it’s like there’s too much inside me all at once. Too many ideas crashing into each other. Then there is the fear, this nagging fear that it’ll all just turn into a mush, like upma.  What if everything goes wrong? What if I try and fall flat? How do I look peo...
1 comment
Read more

Street Art - The Voice of Mumbai's Urbanity

“Art imitates life.”  Art is a mirror showing the beautiful and grotesque face of our world. Through time, all forms of art have been windows into social structures, lifestyles, and beliefs of civilizations. Transformative art has evolved over centuries as the voice of people of their times, inspiring change from a shift in social norms to war revolutions.  ["Humanity" at Sassoon Docks. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement, The Hindu] A tedious train ride in the mornings, the stationary traffic in the evenings, in the gray monotonous life of Mumbai, some days my eyes find the gorgeous colors on mossy walls and railway bridges, across old complexes and abandoned warehouses. The Street Art of Mumbai - present everywhere, unnoticed yet leaving its mark.   From the cultural abundance of the city we inhabit to the push for human rights and protest against climate change, from promoting harmony to lauding the unsung heroes, street art does more than beautify the concrete forest we...
3 comments
Read more

Recycling: The Fashion Edition

  “Put a finger down if all you’re excited about during festivals is getting ready.” Of course, every day is an occasion to get ready. However, the fragrance in the air is a little different during the festive seasons. One cannot deny that true joy comes when the city glitters with lights. Diyas glowing on window panes to the dazzling lights adorning the street. Perhaps the approaching wedding season makes the family churn with enthusiasm. You may whip up your lehengas and twirl in them daily. But their shine is exceptional in such celebratory moods. If you are someone who reserves the more admirable outfits for special days, these festivals become all the more necessary to document. Also, who doesn’t like to jazz up a bit? We all have an inner Bollywood diva waiting to unravel. Even a dramatic maang teeka or a cute dupatta draped gracefully is enough to awaken the Bole Churiya girl within me. All in all, the winters in India could never leave a speck of dullness. There’s always ...
2 comments
Read more