Science is Culture Tom Smith

I‘m not exactly sure what that means, but it is the slogan of the newish Seed magazine, on your newstand today.  I cannot say it is an officially approved RC publication, but it is better than most things you can find at your Albertson’s or Ralph’s newstand, especially since you are not about to be seen buying the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. 

Is Science Culture?  And Why are Those Words Capitalized, Anyway?  I am afraid a lot of the magazine is like that, with a lot of breathless, portenteous writing about how things are never going to be the same, with the dawn of the truly revolutionary widget.  Still, if you want to see what a hip, obviously well financed, and even over-designed glossy mag thinks is happenin’ on the science and tech front, this may be worth your five bucks.  This month the theme is global warming, and, to make a long story short, we’re all screwed.  And that’s what we get for being such a bunch of greedy, profligate Westerners.  It’s time to jump in our private jets and visit those various tropical islands that are going to underwater before you know it.  Be sure to take your digital camera.  For myself, global warming caused by our evil carbonaceous ways has become such a core principle of the Scientifically with-it and socially concerned, I wonder how we are supposed to ever know if it is actually true.  The deeper the gloss of the magazine, the less I trust the science, but it is not as if I am qualified to evaluate climate modelling methodology.  It is all rather hopeless, I’m afraid. I guess we’ll just to wait and see.

“Science is Culture” is a curious phrase.  I think it is supposed to sound deep, even insightful.  This rather obscures its falsity.  Science may be part of culture, but one at least hopes it is not all that is left of culture. “Science is part of culture too, you know,just doesn’t have the same punch.  I suppose what is most interesting about the magazine and the world view it is trying to cobble together and promote, is its terrible earnestness about Science, our life, our sweetness and our hope, as some old prayer says.  She blinded me, with . . .  and so on.

Anyway, pick up a copy of the magazine, and get a taste of something very 2006.  I doubt very much it is going to be around for long, but it is of the moment.  Somewhere amongst all those glossy, oh so digital graphics is our culture, or whatever is left of it.