Science as Dissent: The Practical Value of Basic and Applied Science. (5th March 2019) - Crandall, Christian S.
Abstract: Threats to democracy loom around the world, but scientists of all kinds can resist. I begin by describing two practical opportunities offered at the 2017 Presidential Address in Albuquerque, NM, and quickly turn to the close connection between science and democracy. Science and education promote both scientific and democratic values by building the infrastructure of democracy. Science and democracy coevolved, rely on, and mutually benefit each other, and are part of the fabric of civil institutions, which provide support for democracy. By being an often independent, nonpartisan, and methodologically constrained process for generating knowledge, science is a form of dissent . I offer a source list of over 200 nonviolent ways to help promote and preserve democracy. Indispensably, conducting science and teaching citizenship are critical ways to promote democracy, enhance participation, and develop dissent.