Hold rationale and science in the highest regard

A view of the Chandrayaan-2 onboard GSLV-Mk0III-M1 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, Monday/ PTI

Social media erupted with stirring messages of pride as India made its lunar leap of faith with the launch of Chandrayaan-2 on Monday. The layperson, not just the scientist seemed to be as excited as the student of science. After an initial glitch, India had kept her date with space destiny.

It is time to take a step back and see what we can learn from this. We may follow the mission through different information channels, but what can such breakthroughs actually teach us? They may inspire the youth to find adventure in scientific exploration. It may propel others to not give up, however small your endeavour may be. ISRO, after the technical snag launched the mission again in a week.

The bigger lesson though, that we as a nation must learn is to develop a scientific temperament.

A country where people are regularly fooled by so-called Godmen and Godwomen spinning yarns about miracles, the most prominent one though is making your cash disappear, needs more scientific thought and rationalism.

Do not target rationalists, revere and learn from them. If you do not wish to believe them, do not deride them. It is a shame that rationalists are killed in this nation.

Develop a sense of skepticism, the ability and habit to question and see through faith healers and cons. Do not fall for those who equate all these dubious claims with a religious motive and scream about insults to religion. Hold logic, rationale, sound sense and science in the highest regard.

While our hearts swell with pride, let us learn some hard, practical and useful lessons ourselves from this launch. Not everybody can be a space scientist. What we can do is use the space between our ears wisely and well.

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