THE Petronas Malaysia Formula-1 Grand Prix came and went.
Malaysians can take pride in the enormous success of the event.
This is something no one can take away from us, not even the most captious critic, home-based or otherwise.
Success was not solely in the form of the race itself, but also the many other tangible, and intangible, benefits that it had brought as spin-offs.
Even though the Ferraris, Maclarens and Saubers are now well on their way to Suzuka, Japan, for the final leg of the F-1 race for this season, they have undoubtedly left an indelible impression in the thoughts of Malaysians, young and old.
Hopefully, the interest in designing and building some of the fastest and most reliable terrestrial travelling machines have rubbed off into the minds and hearts of some of them.
To be sure, man would not have been able to create the powerful, yet beautiful, F-1 cars if not for his unrelenting quest in research and development in the fields of science, engineering and technology.
Looking at the slickness of the cars in terms of speed, performance and safety again reminded us of the great benefits that await those who dare to venture seriously and tirelessly into automotive science and engineering.
The commitment, dedication and professionalism of the engineers of all the F-1 teams are indeed something many of us would marvel at. Their involvement in the science of their machines seems to be at a passionate level.
This is typical of the “Westerners”, and to a large extent the Japanese, attitude towards science.
In earnest, in Malaysia such passion for science has not really sprouted among the ordinary public.
For example, the latest survey on public awareness of science and technology carried out by the Malaysian Science and Technology Information Centre or MASTIC found that generally most of the 5,000 respondents do not think of themselves as well-informed about scientific issues.
These include new discoveries in science and medicine, the role of nuclear technology in power generation, the application of computer technology, aerospace exploration and environmental pollution.
Their mean knowledge level in every issue mentioned in the study except the one on the environment was below average. This is indeed a cause for concern.
Nevertheless, some positive trends were reported in this study. Malaysians on the whole have high regard for the role of science in improving their quality of life.
Thus, the majority of them strongly support scientific research.
The study also shows that a large segment of the respondents have a clear understanding of basic scientific ideas.
Many are quite aware that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, that the earth goes around the sun, that oxygen comes from plants, that the earth’s core is blazing, that light travels faster than sound, that the continents do move and that radiation-contaminated milk cannot be made safe by boiling it.
In terms of public sector support, Malaysia is lucky that there is one entire ministry looking after the efforts to promote and popularise science in the country. On top of this, there are hundreds of private scientific organisations and professional societies that have been set up to look after the whole spectrum of science and technology.
Some are active, some are not. But sadly, not many have taken up the challenge to go down to the masses and talk to the public, not in the usual manner of high-level scientific presentations, but rather by using simple terms and examples from daily experiences.
For this they may need to employ what is referred to as “interpreters” who can become the bridge between the scientific community and the public.
Apart from scientists and engineers, these interpreters can be commentators, news reporters and educators.
The other means of enriching scientific materials for the public is to make science lecturers at universities write at least one book in their lifetime aimed at informing the public of their own areas of scientific endeavour.
This, I’m sure, is not too much to ask from our learned professors, or is it?
Science can also be given a “softer” image. One normally relates science to physics, biology, chemistry and mathematics.
This is quite correct. But how much of these subjects does one need to comprehend to be able to understand or appreciate science?
It is worthwhile to explain to the public that science is merely a body of knowledge about this world. Its greatest incentive is the search for the truth of all the mysteries in the creations of Allah.
It encompasses the whole spectrum of human activities. As long as one does something based on some forms of knowledge, both revealed and acquired, then one is using science.
Thus, science is everywhere. It is even in sports. If one indulges in sporting activities with full realisation of their benefits towards enhancing his physical and spiritual well being, then one can be considered as having a scientific mind.
The same goes for entertainment. If one understands that the mind can relax via listening to soothing sound in the form of sweet nasyid melodies, then one can be said to be conscious of the science of entertainment. And the list of “soft science” goes on and on.
Nevertheless, despite numerous efforts by the government, the media, NGOs and private sector, the level of affinity towards science in this country is still quite low.
It has often been said that not enough pupils are adopting science courses.
One of the most commonly stated reasons for this is that students are not able to relate science to their daily chores.
Although their knowledge of school science is immediate and direct they can only have second-hand and indirect knowledge of “real science”.
Their knowledge of science may be discerned from the media, textbooks, or conversation with teachers, peers and parents. It is often said that students learn science best through experiential learning.
Thus, bringing those splendid F-1 cars to Malaysia is actually a noble way to get the locals to participate in experiential learning. Many, no doubt, have had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of the F-1 cars and engaged the simulator. This is what learning of science is all about.
Coming back to the report by MASTIC, one disturbing conclusion made by the researchers was, “Malaysia being young in the tradition of S & T is facing a hard battle in embedding scientific thoughts and way of doing things as part of its culture.
The application of scientific ways as part and parcel of culture varies from one community to another. In Malaysia, the wrong interpretation of religious values may be detrimental to the absorption of scientific thinking as the element of culture. It is perfectly all right to remind the public to be humble and accept scientific findings as revelations of Allah the Omnipotent.
But it is wrong to deny them the right to optimise and maximise the use of their thoughts and ideas by harping too much on the limits and boundaries of using the mind.
Even as we proclaim that we are now on the brink of a new millennium dominated by knowledge, there are those who appear to downplay the call to open the mind and search for the truth through science.
This form of fatalistic advice is like an indestructible virus that once brought down a Muslim-driven civilisation, and later arrested the re-emergence of Islam as a religion of knowledge par excellence. If left unchecked this virus is bound to re-infect the minds of present-day Muslims.