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In response to Dr. Franklin's question about truth, I would say that science is about looking at the world in different ways. 'Truth,' in science, is dynamic, changing throughout time as technology advances and as new questions are asked. Scientific 'truths' must constantly be challenged in order for us to understand the world better. Think back to the 1400s, when people, including the scientific community, accepted the notion that the world was flat; to those individuals, the world being flat was a truth. We look back now, and think of how silly such a notion was, but scientific history is filled with many more stories of once widely accepted 'truths' proven false. But it is only because of the scientists who dared to question the standard way of thinking that we have a better understanding of our world. The so-called 'process of continuing inquiry' is an essential part of science. Not only does the scientific community need to challenge accepted truths, it needs to ask new questions. The more questions one asks, the more benefit there will be to scientific understanding. For this reason, it is more important than ever for young people to get involved in science and technology. The world needs more scientifically inquiring minds--a number of people, each bringing a new perspective and a fresh question to investigate, and each person challenging his or her peers to ask more questions. By looking at a problem from multiple angles, we are more likely to find a solution.
That said, I believe more often than not, schools do not encourage students to think dynamically; schools are more focused on teaching the accepted truths of our time. While it is important to understand what has happened in the past in order to grow and look to the future, students must also be encouraged to stray away from the curriculum and explore their own curiosities, and they must always be encouraged to ask questions and challenge ideas. If teachers could get students more actively involved in science class, rather than only lecturing and having students memorize, students would not only learn more, they would develop a greater appreciation for and interest in the sciences. As others before me have mentioned, this problem is not unique to the field of scientific academia, but it extends to a number of subjects and is a result of numerous factors. Hopefully we can overcome these obstacles, and everyone can become an inquiring mind.