The Magic of Science

Watching the fourth game of the World Series on Wednesday night, I was impressed by the commentators' comparison of life in 1918 (the last year the Red Sox won the series) with life today. Among the bits of trivia was this: the life expectancy in 1918 was 54 years; today it is 77. Think about that for a minute. Over a period of 86 years, science has increased your expected life span by 23 years! (If you have reason to credit anything other than science, please let me know.)

How do people fail to marvel at that? How do people not recognize the gift that intellectual curiosity has given to humanity? Why do people regularly credit God for the great works of scientists and doctors, or for the random rewards of chance? And why do they neglect to blame him for the pain?

For thousands of years, churches, synagogues, and mosques have filled believers with false hope; for thousands of years, superstition has failed to improve the lives of human beings.