On Education and Science

I was talking with my supervisor yesterday, as usual a highly energetic conversation! We touched on the topic of education when he quoted this ""Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." Isn't this the crux of education? We shall not give the fish to eat, but teach him how to fish! Translating to the education language; Do not give closed ended questions for which there exists solution; but give open ended questions that allows/makes/trains one to think. I think this IS education. Many people think science is all about exploring the activities and observations around us and making technological advancements. Yes, this is indeed one part of science. But in my opinion, the true contribution of science to the society is the inculcation of the 'thinking process' in an individual, in turn to his family and in turn to the society as a whole. Doing science is not that easy or that fascinating as everybody (or most) think. It is a process that you undergo when you drag out all the intuitions within and spill it rationally and ratify your intuitions. Shortly put, it is extreme skepticism followed by productivity. Definitely doing Science is not the only way for such rational and critical thinking. But it is the best possible way! When you start practising so, you are automatically illuminated with moral and ethical responsibilities, something religion does (as some claim to) but blindly!

Education and Science should teach an individual to be extremely aware of whatever he thinks!