A microbiology professor of mine, Amy Vollmer, believes in widespread science literacy, the idea that in the same way that everyone should know how to read, everyone should have basic knowledge about the way the natural world works. She believe that the importance of science literacy stems from the need for people to be able to act intelligently in making decisions in their everyday lives that affect the environment and life around them. Science literacy does not require a high level of scientific knowledge, merely a basic understanding of the natural sciences, and has the potential to improve global health.
To comprehend the implications of science literacy let us use the concept of an ecosystem. People should know about the delicate balance that exists in any ecosystem, which humans tamper with through their use of natural resources and waste disposal. Humans currently engage in over fishing, but perhaps they would be less likely to do so if those who engage in the act knew that dramatically reducing or wiping out a population of fish does more than just harm that species. It also puts in danger the organisms that depend on that species of fish for survival and gives an advantage to their prey, initiating a chain reaction of consequences for all the organisms in the ecosystem produced because the initial species’ prey and predators also interact with other living things in it. While perhaps obvious to those who are science inclined, this simplification of the effects of over-fishing serves to exemplify how people could become smarter in their actions with even a moderate level of scientific literacy.
The idea of scientific literacy is especially important with regards to health. Consider, the effective education campaigns conducted to combat malaria helped people make the connection between high levels of mosquitoes and the presence of stagnant water, which serves as their breeding grounds and should be drained to reduce mosquito numbers. Similarly, knowing that infection causing bacteria largely depend on a moist environment for survival can help people truly seize the importance of avoiding touching mucous openings (like the eyes, nose and mouth) with unwashed hands and increase the chance of people acting appropriately when sick. As these examples suggest, the possibilities for improved health are endless with increased scientific literacy, especially in the area of preventive medicine. If people have a better idea of how the body systems function and what causes infections (for example, what’s the difference between a virus and bacteria?), they have the tools to avoid behavior that will damage or put at risk their health. Improved literacy has been correlated to enhanced health (which, admittedly is perhaps in part a reflection of other underlying disadvantages of people with little education), but imagine what increased science literacy could do for improved health around the world in both highly developed and underdeveloped nations.
Image of server courtesy of Microsoft clip gallery; diagram courtesy of wikipedia commons
This post was written by camilia.kamoun
