52 minutes ago by Jonathan Garlick, The Conversation Everyone needs to understand the basics of science to participate fully in the democratic process. Credit: http://www.shutterstock.com.

Science isn't important only to scientists or those who profess an interest in it. Whether you find fascinating every new discovery reported or you stopped taking science in school as soon as you could, a base level understanding is crucial for modern citizens to ground their engagement in the national conversation about science-related issues.

We need to look no further than the Ebola crisis to appreciate the importance of science literacy. A recently elected senator has linked sealing the US-Mexican border with keeping Ebola out of the US, even though the disease is nonexistent in Mexico. Four out of 10 Americans believe there will be a large scale Ebola epidemic here, even though there have been just four cases in the US and only one fatality. Flu, on the other hand, which killed over 100 children here last winter, barely registers in the public consciousness.

Increasingly we must grapple with highly-charged and politicized science-based issues ranging from infectious diseases and human cloning to reproductive choices and climate change. Yet many perhaps even the majority of Americans aren't sufficiently scientifically literate to make sense of these complicated issues. For instance, on one recent survey of public attitudes and understanding of science and technology, Americans barely got a passing grade, answering only 5.8 out of 9 factual knowledge questions correctly.

Without a solid understanding of the underlying science and its implications for our daily lives, we can neither respond intelligently on a personal level nor hold our public officials accountable for sound policy decisions. Moreover, we risk falling prey to the tremendous power of fear and partisan political rhetoric. By grounding our understanding of issues in knowledge, we can gain the confidence to participate in the science conversation in a thoughtful way. Science literacy is a path to that knowledge.

What's needed to be scientifically literate?

Science literacy is a foundational knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes. For example, scientifically literate people should know that science is reproducible, evidence-based information that is fact and not opinion. They should have a working knowledge of the basic terminology needed to interpret the processes and outcomes of science. With this vocabulary in hand, they can engage in the critical thinking needed to apply healthy skepticism and to discern the grey areas and uncertainties inherent in science-based information.

As a stem cell scientist, I have spent my life tackling elusive questions such as "what is personhood" or "when does life begin." Recently, my interest has shifted to helping the public engage in open-minded discussions about these types of questions.

The goal isn't to move public opinion towards one side or another of the stem cell or any other debate, but rather to create a forum in which all sides are armed with basic scientific knowledge and have a legitimate voice in the conversation.

How to get literate

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To seek common ground on life's big questions, we need science literacy

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By Elizabeth Harrington

Washington Free Beacon

The advantage of this is that it actually doesnt cost anything, said Karen May, a vice president at Google, explaining how her company offers mindfulness classes to its employees.

Mindfulness is a New Age kind of meditation that focuses on the present moment non-judgmentally, tracing its origins to Buddhism. The growing phenomenon was the subject of a 60 Minutes segment on Sunday, for which May and other fans of the practice were interviewed.

Were just asking you to sit and know that youre sitting, explained Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and author of the book Wherever You Go, There You Are. When youre in the shower next time check and see if youre in the shower, he advised viewers.

The segment featured Rep. Tim Ryan (D., Ohio), a so-called rock star among mindfulness evangelists who earmarked nearly $1 million to teach mindfulness to preschool students in his district. The $982,000 project provided deep breathing exercises, and Peace Corners for kids in Youngstown, Ohio.

Ryan said he practices mindfulness on the House Budget Committee and hosts weekly meditation sessions for members and staff. No Republicans attend.

The congressman really believes it can change America for the better, as does the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Contrary to Mays assertion, mindfulness has cost taxpayers a fortune. The Washington Free Beacon analyzed 81 active studies on mindfulness that have cost taxpayers more than $100 million. Included in the total were all studies in which mindfulness is used as a central component in the research.

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Imagine dozens of cops sitting in mindful meditation, channeling calm in a display of peace and unity, surrounded by their fellow citizens.

Kelsey Cavanagh can.

The 25-year-old Hollywood yoga teacher is organizing a free "People & Police for Peace" meditation at 6 p.m. Jan. 7 at the ArtsPark on Young Circle.

A native of Maine who went to college in Boston, Cavanagh envisions police coming from all over South Florida to breathe together in guided meditation. She plans to reach out to the Broward Sheriff's Office along with several agencies, including Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

"We would rather work with them in peace than protest," Cavanagh said. "We know that officers are people and have hearts. Police brutality is the hot-button issue right now. We would like to see cops in uniform sitting in peace and showing the public that this is a stepping stone to open up conversations about reform. We want to work with people on a heart level and create a forum for mindfulness and conversation."

All cops are welcome whether they are in uniform or not, she says.

Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, praised Cavanagh for coming up with a plan for peace even as people across the nation take to the streets to protest.

"The conversation about policing has become polarized and facts have often been the first casualty," O'Donnell said. "So anything that can bridge the divide can't be anything but positive."

But will the cops come?

Jeff Marano, a retired Hollywood cop and president of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, doubts it. Still, he promised to let officers know about the event by posting details on the union's Facebook page.

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Cops meditating with public might help bring peace, yoga teacher says

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