People for Science: Group Rules

There certain prescribed rules. Please do look at them

1.   Post related to Scientific temper, methodology, obscurantism, superstition, explaining natural phenomenon should be posted.

2.   Do not post Jokes, Unnecessary forwards, and propaganda posts.

3.   We all are members of many other groups. So, posts, which may be very relevant on social or political issues including labour issues, caste issues, other people’s issues should be avoided. Also avoid propaganda of events related these issues.

4.   Post on new discoveries, new debates etc. should be done and people should participate in the same.

5.   Discussions and debates should be healthy, based on rational and logical reasoning and facts. Abusive and personal attacks should be strictly avoided.

6.   Admin reserve the right to remove people not observing rules.

People for Science (PFS): Group Introduction

This group People for Science (PFS) is to promote Scientific temper amongst people.

The obscurantism that is so well prevalent in in day to day life of common folks is the actual reason for such incidents to take place. We have seen that in some extreme cases there is some reaction of the people, when some baba is caught there is some reaction. In fact, these Babas thrive on this deep-rooted obscurantism. But obscurantism is not limited to such extreme cases, but it is there in day to day life. People wearing rings of different stones, asking Pandit to decide who to marry and when to marry, renovating or constructing our houses based all vastu, are just a few examples.

Moreover, present regime is even worse. It is up to undo whatever scientific and rational was there. It has launched a full-fledged attack on science and scientific temper. A committee is formed constituting some Directors IITs, DG of CSIR and former DG of CSIR to study panchgavya. They are changing syllabus to replace science with obscurantism.

some of us to convened and discussed the issue and do something about it.

We discuss decided the following as a beginning. We discussed many things at reached following conclusions:

1.   We should demand the government of Delhi to introduce scientific temper in curriculum and in methodology of teaching.

2.   We should run a campaign to create awareness. This campaign can be in schools, colleges, and residential areas. Campaign can be in forms of visuals, videos, lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions etc. and should be also on social media.

For this it was also decided that we can coordinate with many other groups and individual already active on similar ideas. We should also pool resources- be it literature, visuals other material or even human resources.

This group too, is part of the campaign now. One can post and discuss relevant material.

It was also decided that the PFS will organize debates, discussions on topics like Scientific Temper

1.   Pseudo-Science

2.   Scientific methodology

3.   Situation of Science & research in India

4.   Myths, science and obscurantism

5.   Science & technology and research orientation

6.   Ancient texts and science

7.   And many other aspects dealing with nature, philosophy and day to day science.

This WhatsApp group shall work a platform for information sharing as well as an alternate to physical activities. One can post news about science, pseudo-science, debates on some oar many of the aspects mentioned above and propagate scientific temper among the people.

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बुराड़ी में 11 मौतें: कुछ बुनियादी प्रश्न

यह एक बहुत ही छोटी और तुरंत लिखी पोस्ट है, कृपया पढ़ें, सुझाव दें और समृद्ध करें।

बुराड़ी, दिल्ली में ग्यारह मौतों ने कई सवाल उठाए हैं। शुरुआत में यह एक रहस्य जैसा ही था लेकिन जैसा कि अब उजागर तथ्यों स्पष्ट हैं। सटीक विवरण कि किसने क्या किया और यह आत्महत्या या दुर्घटना थी तो अलग-अलग प्रश्न हैं जो पुलिस जांच हल कर सकती हैं। एक अलग बिंदु भी सामने आ रहा है, हालांकि इस पर अधिक चर्चा नहीं की गई। यह गहरा अंधविश्वास है और समाज में प्रचलित रूढ़िवादिता है।

इस मामले में एक ही परिवार की अलग अलग पीढ़ियों के 11 लोग मारे गए हैं, जो ऐसा मानते थे कि उनका कार्य उन्हें बचाएगा (किससे?)। या पानी नीले रंग मे बदलने के बाद वे और शक्तिशाली हो जाएगें। इन घटनाओं गंभीरता ने हमें सोचने के लिए मजबूर कर दिया है,  इस चरम मूर्खता के बारे में बातें की जा रही हैं। लेकिन क्या ऐसी मूर्खता समाज में वैसे भी मौजूद नहीं है और वह भी बहुत उच्च स्तर पर? सभी बाबा आदि इस पर ही तो फलते फूलते हैं। जब हम कुछ बहुत बड़ा कुछ देखते हैं तो हम असहमत हैं। लेकिन वैसे भी हमारे चारों ओर रूढ़िवादिता प्रचलित है।

हम बड़े मामलों का उपहास करते हैं जैसे गाय ऑक्सीजन छोड़ती है, वैदिक काल में कार्बन डाइ ओक्साईड नहीं थी , कुछ तथाकथित चमत्कार इत्यादि। लेकिन और भी बहुत कुछ कुछ है। कुंडली और जाति देख वैवाहिक जोड़ी बनाने के बारे में क्या? घर खरीदने, किराए पर लेने या पुनर्निर्मित करने से पहले वास्तु को देखने के बारे में क्या? यह बहुत फैशनेबल बन गया है। तो गृह प्रवेश और अब विवाह में सभी शादी की परंपराएं भी तो यही हैं। हवन आदि या ग्रहण के दौरान बाहर नहीं जा रहे हैं या खाना नहीं बना रहे हैं भी इसी का उदाहरण है।

धर्मों के साथ विज्ञान के समकक्ष रख देने के प्रयास भी इस ही श्रेणी में पड़ते हैं। साबित करने की कोशिश कर रहा है, (हालांकि गलत बात यह है) कि प्राचीन विश्वास सही थे और विज्ञान उन्हें साबित कर रहा है, आदि  कुछ उदाहरण हैं।

प्रश्न पूछने की क्षमता, शुरुआत से ही दबा दी जाती है। यह न केवल हमें विज्ञान का सही अध्ययन करने की क्षमता विकसित होती है, बल्कि बड़े पैमाने पर समाज भी। जब हम जानते हैं कि यह पिछले जन्म के कर्म नहीं है, तो यह कुछ अदृश्य सर्वशक्तिमान द्वारा लिखित भाग्य नहीं है, बल्कि समाज की भौतिक स्थिति जो कि समाज के लिए जिम्मेदार है, समाज को दोबारा बनाने के वास्तविक प्रयास किए जा सकते हैं।

उपर्युक्त को ध्यान में रखते हुए, हमें यह मांग करनी चाहिए कि स्कूल के पाठ्यक्रम में, वैज्ञानिक दृष्टिकोण और तर्कसंगतता को अतिरिक्त विष के रूप में ही नहीं बल्कि आम अध्ययन विधि के रूप में भी जोड़ा जाना चाहिए।

11 Deaths in Burari: need to address some basic questions

this is a very short and quick response, please read, suggest and enrich.

The eleven deaths in Burari, Delhi has sparked raised many questions. Initially it was a mystery but as it is getting unfolded, the facts are clearer. The exact details as who did what and if it was a suicide or accident are different questions which police investigating may solve. A different point is also coming to the fore, though not discussed so much. That is deep rooted superstitious believes and rampant obscurantism prevalent in society.

In this case 11 people of different generations of same family have died, believing that their act will salvage them (from what?). or they will be stronger after water will turn blue. Gravity of this incidents has forced us to think, and people are talking about this extreme foolishness. But isn’t that this foolish exist anyways in the society and that too at a very high level? Don’t all these babas etc. thrive on this? When we see something very gross we disagree. But there is prevalent obscurantism all around us anyways.

We ridicule extreme cases like cow exhaling oxygen, Vedic period was without co2, some so called miracles etc. but there is more to it. What about marital matches with kundali and caste? What about looking at Vaastu before buying, hiring or renovating a house? It has become very fashionable. So is grih apravesh and now all the wedding rituals (albeit very commercialised) in weddings.  Havans etc. or not going out or not cooking during eclipse are example of the same.

Attempts to equate or giving a parallel of science with religious faiths also falls in same category. Trying to prove, although wrongly, that ancient believes were correct and science is proving them, etc. ect. Are just some examples.

The ability to question, to enquire is curbed right from the beginning. This not only allows us nit to study science properly, but also society at large.  When we know that it is not karmas of previous birth, it is not the fate written by some invisible almighty, but the material condition of society that is responsible for the society as it exists, the real attempts to reshape the society can be made.     

In view of the above, we should demand that in school curriculum, scientific temper and rationality be added not just as an additional thing but also as method in general. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Burari raise questions

Whatever happened at Burari raised many questions. Apart from the facts was that incident was a  big tragedy, as entire family of 11 people and different generations have lost their life due to superstitious beliefs.
It raises a question that how deep is the belief the people can go to the extent which may lead to though unintentionally. Hey had deep faith  that day will be salvaged and will emerge stronger once some water turns blue.
though, this bizzare incident, is very is very grevious, points to the fact that our society full of superstitious faiths and irrational believes, and totally beteft of any scientific temper.
This is a big incident where 11 people have lost their lives, but superstitions and irrationality prevails everywhere , claiming variety of victims in different ways.
This is high time that start teaching scientific temper and rationality o kids in schools. It is the time that some of ud start acting. We should convene meetings, organise mass programs to promote rational thinking.