Wanted: a bible for science
May 8, 1998
Mankind needs the scientific equivalent of the bible in case our civilisation is wiped out by a natural disaster according to James Lovelock, the inventor of the Gaia theory (Science May 8 1998). Lovelock points out that although mankind has been around for a million years, over 30 civilisations have risen and collapsed in the past 5000 years, mostly due to natural disasters. He says that a "scientific primer" is needed to ensure that the current sum of human knowledge will be safely transferred to future generations. Lovelock also asks if there is anyone alive "who knows even a tenth of everything there is to know about science?"
Future archaeologists who come across books from our era would, he says, find it difficult to tell the difference between 'new age' science books full of "junk science" or those containing scientific fact. This is why Lovelock believes that a well-written record of scientific knowledge designed for an intelligent reader is needed. The book should be clear, unbiased and constantly updated. It would explain the theory of natural selection and the principles of medicine, engineering and thermodynamics. It would also cover what we know about the universe. And to guard against future obsolescence, Lovelock argues that such a "survival manual" should be written on paper, not stored on computer.