A Cure for Narcissism in Science
Written by Alice Song
Edited by Daisy Hong
Cover Image by Linda Xu
If one were to see all of time, from the creation of the universe to this very second, humanity would emerge at the last millisecond. Humans occupy such a tiny role in the universe; yet, a whisper in my ear constantly tells me that humanity’s appearance is worth representing while all other space and time is not even worth a glance. In the world of science and literature, humanity is often depicted as all-important and the center of the universe.
This narcissistic approach to understanding the universe around us has several implications. The main implication being the deteriorating relationship between humanity and nature. We have isolated ourselves as a species and deemed ourselves as superior to nature itself. Humans think that they sit on top of a throne when it comes to organisms and that all other species are inferior. The Anthropocene is the idea that human activities have impacted nature beyond repair. This kind of damage can only be the result of human arrogance. This ideology materializes in our daily lives through climate change, extinction, and water pollution. The negative human impact on the environment makes it clear that it is imperative that we recognize our smallness and see beyond ourselves.
At its core, science is one of the main mediums through which humanity fuels its ego. The trait of narcissism is to blame for the Enlightenment period. During this period, the emergence of concepts such as materialism and natural rights and the development of science encouraged mankind to believe that they had greater power compared to other species. As these ideas spread to other parts of the world, the manner in which humans approached science changed. Fields such as biology, chemistry, and geology were once rooted in studying the smallest organisms and relationships and how they held significance and value. In spite of this change, these fields have only evolved to focus on how the knowledge derived from them can benefit humanity.
How can humanity obtain a better understanding of our place in the universe? Clearly, humans need to shift their outlook on science. After all, their egocentric view of science is the root cause for the crumbling relationship between humans and nature. Still, science contains a solution that will help humans understand their role in the universe: astronomy, the study of what lies beyond our tiny speck of a galaxy.
Apart from the search for life, which is a rather narcissistic approach to astronomy, the study of space and time helps humanity realize that there are likely forces more complex than our species will ever comprehend. Astronomy proposes different perspectives to life: apart from carbon-based life forms, some scientists propose that silicon-based life forms may exist. Although humanity is unlikely to ever fully understand or discover all of space and time, humans should appreciate and connect with nature. Who knows? If you research and read further into the intricate complexities of the structures that lie within space, you may realize that life on Earth is something taken for granted.
Astronomy expands humanity’s imagination and helps humanity understand that not everything follows the same natural and social structures as them. In the media, aliens are often portrayed as green beings with large, pupil-less eyes, and that walk on two feet. These aliens are still in the image of a human, though. They still hold similarities to humans: they have similar arms, legs, a head that is similar to that of a human, and their eyes are similarly shaped even if they are blown out of proportion. However, understanding the sheer abstract nature of astronomy is something that isn’t an easy feat for the majority of the human populus who don’t have PhDs in astrophysics or astrobiology. The solution? Science fiction.
Science fiction is a genre of fiction that allows anyone to grasp the general idea of any field in science without having to do extensive research. Science fiction is premised on world-building: the clever construction of the fundamental laws and framework. In particular, science fiction helps conceptualize the vastness of space and time through macro-detail. Macro-detail is outside the text but helps the reader infer meaning into the text. An example of this would be a science fiction novel describing two entities marvelling at mysterious fireworks that had begun to illuminate the sky. A macro-detail accompanying this text would be giving information on the Big Bang Theory. Through this macro-detail, readers may infer that the fireworks in the sky is actually the creation of a universe, hence allowing the reader to understand how insignificant our universe really is in the grand scheme of things.
It is our responsibility as humanity to look beyond our own existence in order to mend our perspective on our universe; only then will we improve our flawed relationship with nature.