Simplicity is Boring

A good analogy only gets you so far. My first mentor in science taught me that. Basically, analogies in science are tremendous tools because you can translate the complexity of natural phenomenon into crystallized sound bytes for easier communication and snap comprehension. He also taught me that they can be dangerous, because they sand off the edges of complicated ideas for the sake of simplicity and comprehension. You've got to know where the analogy you're using breaks down. A good analogy will drive you 75% of the way, but all analogies make you walk around at dusk for a while. Truth ain't easy.

As much as Americans "fucking love science," I don't think we like scientists very much. They're argumentative weirdos that hem and haw over complexity too much. True Americans™ like an overconfident cowboy to take the analogy, tip his hat, and run with it. Basically, we like a nice story with a scientific sheen to it. And yet, there's nothing more dangerous than an overconfident person with a half-baked understanding of science. "Descent with modification" becomes "survival of the fittest," which is true up to a point but taken to it's logical conclusion leads us to darker corners of human nature like eugenics. Yes I jumped straight to Nazis, sue me Godwin.

I know this moment in history feels unique, but it's not. I'm not even sure I believe that last sentence. Living in a moment of change and upheaval will always feel scary to those within it. The correct answer is not to accept the simplest story, told the loudest, that makes you feel the safest. The world is a complicated place, let's talk about it.

Embrace complexity. Question narrative. Hug a scientist*.

* Except please don't, we're all introverted and fear human contact.

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