Why Pure Science is Cool

Every year the fight for engineering, medical and allied majors' seats has many a student making a beeline for these courses. Growth and development in college are supposed to be intellectual, and not just evaluated by monetary prospects. Pure science majors face questions like, "Eta pore ki hobe?" It's mostly because of the income disparity between an entry level scientist and an engineer, social perceptions.

Here is why pure sciences still deserve much attention:

1) Endless pursuit of knowledge:
The sheer pleasure of studying pure science comes from understanding the backstory. It basically involves mapping out and thinking over scientific theories. If you know the law of gravitation, you can easily calculate the magnitude of force between any two objects with masses and distance between them. (No, gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. Einstein made it clear.)

2) Progress: 
Pure science keeps new ideas and discoveries flowing without which the world would be stagnant. Progress in almost any field, be it business or medicine, depends on the amount of knowledge one has access to. This type of science ensures that we keep pushing the envelope and continue our quest of deciphering nature's puzzles. 

3) Bragging rights:
Most people go on stressing the importance of applied science over that of pure science. Theoretical science evolves to become applied science when the available technology allows its applications to become a reality. Say, theoretically we figured out the concept of escape velocity. We could incorporate this knowledge to make spacecrafts with engines powerful enough to travel at velocities exceeding the escape velocity.

What most fail to understand is both are vital. What's more important for making wooden furniture: the tree or the wood? Though the skill to make furniture is necessary, you won't get timber without a tree. 

4) Iron in the fire:
"After confidently marching into Stanford with the hopes of graduating as an electrical engineer, if I ever come across a convincing class from a different major, I want to have the freedom to change my major." – Avoy Datta, a former International Physics Olympiad participant, explained his preference for foreign universities to BUET.

DM Zunayed Kamal, who chose to study Mathematics despite securing the 23rd position in DU admission test, has a solution to this problem. His major allows him to shift to a different discipline after graduation because the syllabus covered is eclectic. That's the beauty of pure science.

5) Made in Bangladesh:
Imagine a Bangladesh which has her own scientists coming up with new ideas. Research broadens a country's self-reliance. Pure science makes the branding game strong.

To simplify, applied science allows an individual to have a bigger impact on improving the world as we know it. Pure science, on the other hand, would allow one to have a greater impact on human consciousness. And that, while not material, has great implications.

Myat Moe is an occasional philosopher whose favorite pastime is confusing people with her nationality. Reach her at 145michelle@gmail.com