In a world brimming with information, the ability to think critically is a necessity. Critical thinking is the meticulous, thoughtful process of evaluating the facts, contemplating potential impacts, and making educated decisions. Nuclear physicist Dr. Thomas Bowles believes this crucial skill encourages us to consider what we hear and see about an issue in order to find a viable solution. This practice not only enriches our personal lives but also fortifies the foundations of our democratic society.
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Bowles at the Ultracold Neutron Facility
At its core, critical thinking is not just an abstract concept but a practical tool for questioning the status quo, challenging assumptions, and striving for a deeper understanding. It is the antithesis of accepting information at face value, a mindset Dr. Bowles warns can lead to detrimental outcomes, both in our lives and in larger society. By cultivating a habit of thoughtful inquiry and validation, we ensure that our decisions are well-informed and considerate of myriad perspectives and consequences.
Dr. Bowles, a prominent figure in nuclear physics, has significantly influenced modern science and technology. His scientific journey began at 13, with a letter to Los Alamos National Laboratory igniting his passion for nuclear physics. He pursued this passion at Princeton University, earning his PhD in physics and later exploring neutrino physics at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Bowles’ groundbreaking work, particularly in solar neutrino experiments and dark matter, has contributed not just to our understanding of the universe but reshaped it. His research helped establish neutrinos as part of dark matter, revealing their significant and awe-inspiring role in the cosmos. His development of capabilities in fundamental neutron science at Los Alamos has implications for Time Reversal and the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe.
Dr. Bowles’ interest in neutrinos was stimulated by his Ph.D. thesis advisor at Princeton, Prof. Gerry Garvey, who had a profound impact on Bowles’ research career. Bowles’ interest in neutrinos led to an effort in 1982 to test a Russian claim that the electron antineutrino has a mass of 30 eV (electron volts), which was sufficiently large enough to close the universe, namely that the expansion of the universe would eventually stop and the universe would start to contract. Along with Prof. Hamish Robertson, Dr. Bowles led a small team to study the beta decay of gaseous tritium using a large cylindrical spectrometer. Their result strongly refuted the Russian claim and set a limit of 9.7 eV, meaning the mass was not large enough to close the universe. That result garnered worldwide attention.
Dr. Bowles recounts his work on a project investigating solar neutrinos to illustrate the rigorous process of scientific validation. An experiment done 30 years ago reported that they were not seeing enough of the type of high-energy neutrinos produced in a particular nuclear reaction in the Sun. Something was wrong. The proposed solution was that if neutrinos have a small bit of mass, it would account for those observations. However, the experiment depended on many different nuclear reactions in the Sun to produce the high-energy neutrinos. Of course, scientists wanted to test this claim to see if neutrinos do have a mass.
“To check on this, I started leading the U.S. effort on the Soviet-American Gallium solar neutrino Experiment (SAGE) in Russia. I spent 10-plus years going to Russia, several months a year, starting in 1987. The experiment was very challenging and costly, with the goal of looking at the neutrinos that are created in the primary nuclear reaction in the center of the Sun when two protons come together and fuse. This reaction produces almost all the energy in the Sun and generates the type of low-energy neutrinos that SAGE was particularly sensitive to.
After several years of work, we were able to observe the neutrinos from protons fusing in the Sun. And we said there actually are not enough of the primary type of low-energy neutrinos, so neutrinos must have a mass. So, after 20-some years, we verified this previous experiment.
But when we presented that result at a conference, a well-known prominent scientist I had worked with turned to his student and said, ‘Find out what’s wrong with that result.’ He didn’t believe it. That lack of faith or doubt is an inherent part of science.”
In addition to his research in neutrino physics, Dr. Bowles has always had an abiding interest in fundamental physics—testing the laws of nature and searching for new physics. This led to his interest in neutron beta decay to test the weak nuclear interaction and the properties of the neutron itself. Dr. Bowles created a facility in 1995 at Los Alamos to produce Ultracold Neutrons (UCN). UCN move so slowly that you can physically trap them in bottles and study their properties before they decay (in about 780 seconds). The Los Alamos UCN Facility is the most advanced in the world, making it possible to do extremely precise measurements of the neutron. Using a special UCN trap, Dr. Bowles is studying the separation of the three quarks that make up a neutron. This provides a test of Time Reversal Invariance (TRI)—namely, that time is different going forward than backward. TRI violation is required to explain why the universe consists of matter and does not consist of equal amounts of matter and antimatter.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Bowles transitioned into leadership roles, becoming the Chief Scientist and Chief Science Officer at Los Alamos National Laboratory and later serving as the Science Advisor to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Dr. Bowles gained valuable insights during his time as former Governor Bill Richardson’s science advisor, collaborating closely with a diverse range of stakeholders to tackle pressing issues. He spearheaded initiatives like New Mexico’s Green Grid programs and formed the North American Intelligent Manufacturing Initiative (NAIMI), focusing on clean energy and technological innovation. Dr. Bowles emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, advocating for a well-rounded, multifaceted approach to education and public discourse. His belief in the transformative power of science and technology underscores his efforts to foster economic growth and job creation through intelligent manufacturing and clean energy projects.
Dr. Bowles is driven by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and improvement, a philosophy he shares with Michelangelo, who said, “Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish,” reflecting his commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth. He believes that people must actively engage their minds, not just passively consume information.
According to Dr. Bowles, the public’s growing dependence on readily available information on social media platforms and places like Wikipedia has led to a decline in critical thinking and creativity. Individuals now rely on pre-packaged knowledge without questioning or exploring new ways of thinking.
“They stop coming up with new ways themselves and let go of stretching their imagination and their thinking process to come up with new solutions and new ideas. They just take whatever’s there and run with it. Nowadays, we rely on instantaneous information and Google or Wikipedia. I’ve heard some people say, ‘Why do I need to listen to some discussion about this? I have Wikipedia.’ While Wikipedia is a good source of information, Wikipedia itself tells you that it is important for the reader to corroborate information from a range of reputable sources to ensure accuracy.”
Dr. Bowles underscores that science is not merely a collection of facts but a dynamic process of combining reputable information in innovative ways to solve problems and create new capabilities. Science provides a very good framework for making new discoveries and inventing new capabilities. The process relies on validating claims that are made by having independent review by multiple sources until a claim can be considered valid. Adopting such a critical thinking perspective is also crucial for people, especially students, to understand, as it prepares them to think critically and adaptively in a rapidly changing world.
Dr. Bowles advocates for strengthening our educational system’s ability to teach science. He strongly believes in instilling a scientific mindset in students, recognizing its vital role in cultivating their capacity to question, analyze, and innovate. These skills are critical to navigating the complexities of our ever-evolving, technology-driven society.
“Teaching science in schools is essential. In science, when somebody says, ‘Oh, look what I found,’ other scientists immediately say, ‘Well, let me check on that.’ There’s a motto at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is ‘Trust, but Verify.’ If somebody is respected in the field, you say, ‘They could be right, but I would like to check that out, so I’m holding off on making a decision.’ You get all kinds of independent confirmation of new findings before accepting.’”
According to him, science is commonly taught in schools using two different approaches, each with a different level of effectiveness. One approach emphasizes the importance of scientific inquiry and problem-solving, urging students to tackle real-world problems and devise practical solutions.
“How do you move science forward? First, you define the problem. Something isn’t working right; for example, in agriculture, you’re unhappy with how your crops are growing. Then, you set out to solve the problem. You gather all kinds of different information and look to see how it fits together. You may realize your crops aren’t growing right because you’re overwatering them. You come down to some conclusion. Then, you fix the issue, and you move forward. That’s how science projects should be done in schools.”
This hands-on, investigative approach contrasts sharply with the second, less effective method of teaching science, which relies heavily on rote memorization of facts. Dr. Bowles argues that this method does little to develop a deep understanding or long-term retention of scientific concepts.
“It’s not a way of figuring out how well you understand something; it’s a test of how good your memory is. Usually, students who do that memorize all those facts, take the test, and forget the information since it doesn’t matter anymore. Einstein once said, ‘Education is what remains when you have forgotten everything you learned in school.’”
To combat this second way of teaching, Dr. Bowles has been actively involved in initiatives like the Supercomputing Challenge, which aims to foster critical thinking and scientific inquiry among students.
In 1990, Los Alamos National Laboratory initiated the Supercomputing Challenge, funding it to organize a competition among high school students. The goal was to inspire young minds to engage deeply with science and technology and encourage them to think creatively while incorporating some level of computational coding.
“They form teams and have a mentor who’s a teacher. They pick the topic, research it, and find an answer to whatever question they formulated at the start. This process takes six months, and there are reviews along the way. In the end, there’s a final judging to award prizes in categories including science, technology, engineering, art, and math, collectively known as STEAM.”
The competition was created to nurture a future workforce for Los Alamos. It all began with the first group of ambitious high school students inspired to embark on a path toward successful careers in science. During its development, the program has grown to encompass middle school students, mirroring the widespread presence of technology and the growing significance of computational skills.
The Laboratory’s mission places a strong emphasis on computing, given its crucial role in addressing matters of national security.
Bowles lecturing in Moscow after receiving the Markov Prize
“National security doesn’t mean just nuclear weapons—that’s sort of half of our effort at Los Alamos National Laboratory. National security means energy security, health security, economic security, environmental security, and other areas. In essentially all these fields, you must be familiar with computing. You must know how to use computers.”
TRC
Through this program, the Supercomputing Challenge has educated over 12,000 students, a number of whom have gone on to work at Los Alamos. However, Dr. Bowles acknowledges that maintaining momentum has become more challenging in recent years as societal focus shifts towards immediate gratification.
The Supercomputing Challenge awards prizes in categories including STEAM. Dr. Bowles shares some of the fascinating projects that students have developed through this program, demonstrating the incredible potential of young minds when given the right tools and guidance.
Two high school juniors dedicated their efforts to improving children’s health in sub-Saharan Africa by implementing an optimized food distribution system.
“They contacted non-government organizations (NGOs) and charities across the central part of Africa; they wrote 14,000 lines of code and included all the different types of food, where they’re grown, how they are collected and distributed, and assessed the nutrient content, fats, protein, vitamins, and everything in it. Ultimately, they found that by optimizing the process, the NGOs could provide 2 million kids in Sub-Saharan Africa with their recommended daily nutrition at 20% less cost than it was currently costing by optimizing the process. It’s amazing that these high school kids are helping the health of 2 million kids.”
As a result of their efforts, these students received four-year scholarships to Harvard. Dr. Bowles sees this kind of innovation as a key driver of progress, and it returns to the foundational principles of science, emphasizing scientific inquiry’s methodical and questioning nature.
Dr. Bowles reflects on his own journey as a scientist and how his background in nuclear physics has improved his work in policy and education.
“I started life as a nuclear physicist, and I ended up going into the Governor’s office. I found that the things I learned about the world, science, how things work, and how you make decisions were all totally relevant to what I was doing in Governor Richardson’s office. Technology-based economic development is what provides growth in our society and is what our economy is really built on. Science plays an incredible role in that, and so I was able to translate that into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and specialized economic development.”
Dr. Bowles is deeply concerned about social media’s impact on critical thinking. The constant barrage of information can lead people to accept what they hear without question, especially if they only consume news from a single source. This uncritical acceptance of information is troubling, as it undermines the foundations of informed decision-making and democratic engagement. People often fail to verify the accuracy of the information they receive, leading to widespread misinformation and poor decision-making on both personal and societal levels. It is worth noting that companies can also derive advantages from the dissemination of false or misleading information. Having control over the flow of information is synonymous with having control over power and financial resources.
“There are a lot of times when newscasters or companies will come out with a statement that supports a particular point that they favor. People just take it at face value and tend to only listen to one source of news or information. They only read one thing, and nothing is perfect. I don’t care which side of the fence you’re on; you should listen to both sides of what’s going on and make an informed decision.”
Dr. Bowles explains that many issues generate immediate, autonomic responses in people. They react without thinking critically about the implications of their beliefs and actions. This lack of reflection can lead to decisions not in their best interest.
He expresses concern over the prevailing ideology among many individuals that their personal theories hold the same weight as scientifically proven ones.
“I would explain how science impacts a particular issue they were referring to. And often, their answer would be, ‘Well, that’s fine. That’s your theory. My theory is this, and my theory is just as good as your theory.’ Well, no, it’s not. I’m sorry, but no, it’s not. And people don’t understand that.”
This has resulted in a culture where opinions are frequently confused with facts, according to Dr. Bowles. One of Dr. Bowles’ favorite quotes, attributed to Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Director of the New York Hayden Planetarium, succinctly captures the essence of this challenge: “The good thing about science is that it is true, whether you believe in it or not.”
Dr. Bowles notes that skepticism plays a crucial role in the scientific process, although the general public frequently misunderstands it. He provides a firsthand account of his foray into politics, shedding light on the challenges he faced when communicating scientific theories and their relevance to local issues. These communication challenges often stem from a lack of comprehension of the meticulous process underpinning scientific research.
“Many people just want to go back home after work, watch a T.V. show, and kick back. Relaxing is an important part of staying healthy, but another important part of staying healthy is thinking about things and exercising your brain, including making decisions. They’ve done studies where people who are more active mentally tend to have better mental health over the longer term. There is some evidence that Alzheimer’s and some other things can be either reduced or held at bay to some extent if you use your mental faculties more.”
And times are changing, so it is more important than ever to exercise your mental faculties. Fifteen years ago, Dr. Bowles was the after-dinner speaker at a conference on America’s future, where experts across various fields debated the nation’s trajectory.
“The question was, has America reached a tipping point? Are we going to start going downhill after this, or is America going to continue to climb? The conclusion at the end was that we could be at a tipping point where things will deteriorate in the U.S. over the long term, but it was unclear. Well, if anything, 15 years later, it looks more like things are deteriorating somewhat. Yet the strength of America is that we have choices we can make about most things that affect our lives. We are lucky to have freedom of choice. I saw in Russia the opposite—they are not allowed to make choices about their lives and how they live.”
Dr. Bowles recalls his experience working in Russia and the way of life he observed there.
“When I worked with the Russians, they sometimes came to Los Alamos to analyze data. I would take them into a supermarket, and they would see so many products. They would just stand there and ask, ‘What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to decide?’ In Russia, you would have a store for bread, and you have another one for meat. Maybe you get pork, maybe you get chicken, maybe you get beef, maybe something else, whatever’s there. That’s it. There’s no choice. With Perestroika came reform, and my friends in Russia would say, ‘What are we supposed to do? Because we’ve never had to decide before because the government controlled every aspect of our lives.’ They controlled where you went to school. They controlled what job you got. They controlled where you lived, everything about you. They honestly didn’t know how to make a choice. In the United States, we are very lucky to have so many choices we can make. But I’m afraid that the choice is so easy now that you don’t have to think about anything you do.”
Critical thinking also means carefully considering our everyday decisions. According to Dr. Bowles, the key to making sound choices lies in engaging with a wide array of biased and unbiased information. Incorporating a range of viewpoints can attain a more comprehensive and well-rounded perspective.
“If you combine a lot of different biases on different sides of the street, you end up with an average that’s unbiased. So be careful in what you think and how you do it.”
For people, another obstacle to critical thinking can be deeply ingrained convictions regarding history, education, social perspectives, or faith.
“For many of these ideas, the culture is set up so that everybody around you accepts something as true, whether it is or not. You hear this from a respected figure; it might be your newscaster. It might be your pastor. It might be a health official. People buy into crowd thinking.”
It has been observed that individuals tend to adopt the beliefs of their peers, resulting in a phenomenon known as herd mentality. History has repeatedly demonstrated that this phenomenon can have disastrous consequences.
When asked about the book bans across America, Dr. Bowles argues that restricting information is inherently detrimental to society.
“I would say anything that restricts information is intrinsically bad. In science, the more information you have, the better solution you can come up with to a problem. In culture, you might not like what the information tells you, but you can’t change reality.”
Dr. Bowles suggests that people should engage with their greater communities to broaden their perspectives and introduce them to other viewpoints. He believes that local events are the perfect setting for this.
Participants at the Neutrino 2006 Conference
“Most communities in the United States have city and county events. They allow people to come together; I think those personal interactions have greatly been reduced because of technology. You go to these events, and half the people are on their cell phones. They’re not paying attention to what’s happening around them or taking advantage of that opportunity.”
Bowles hosting the Neutrino 2006 Conference
To illustrate the consequences of convenience and the importance of critical thinking, Dr. Bowles shares a story about his wife and their trip to Fiji.
“We wanted to go to Fiji because it has some beautiful reefs. We stayed on a remote island, and my wife got bitten by a huntsman spider that formed an abscess on her rear that went down to the bone. A doctor came on a boat, gave her antibiotic injections, and told her that she would have died without them. At the end, I asked, ‘So, what do I owe you?’ The doctor said, ‘Well, nothing.’ Healthcare is free in Fiji, even for foreigners. The doctor also said, ‘Did you know that the health of the Fiji people here has been worsening? The reason is because they’re switching to eating all these processed western foods that we’re importing.’ He said that he had seen a huge change over the last decade in his patients because they weren’t eating nutritious foods anymore.”
Eventually, the doctor had the idea to speak to his pastor, who then addressed the congregation, encouraging them to appreciate the food that grew around them.
“The next week, the pastor gave a sermon and said, ‘I want you to look at the bounty of the Lord. The Lord has provided you with all these wonderful fruits and vegetables. They’re nutritious. They taste good. They’re natural. You should partake of the bounty the Lord has given you.’ After the sermon, people started going back to eating natural foods.”
This story exemplifies how critical thinking can lead to better health outcomes and a higher quality of life. By reconsidering their dietary choices, the people of Fiji can improve their health significantly. This kind of systematic thinking can also benefit smaller decisions in everyday life, not just major ones.
“You can improve your life through critical thinking—health, happiness, and economics. Think of how well off you will be economically if you’re not spending money on unnecessary things. You don’t need it, but you get it, and after a day, you go, eh, and put it in the dustbin. Critical thinking should come into virtually every aspect of your life. Sometimes, it’s just a moment’s thought when you’re cooking. ‘Maybe I should get a potholder instead of grabbing that hot pan.’”
For example, Dr. Bowles highlights the importance of carefully considering the environmental implications that can arise from the convenience of modern life. He shares his experience owning an automatic coffee maker that uses small cases of flavored coffee and the realization one day of what it led to, with millions of the coffee cases ending up in the dump every year. “You think, well, it’s very convenient. That’s nice. That’s good. Well, yes and no. There’s a good part to it, and there’s a bad part to it in a lot of ways,” he says.
An alternative is to use reusable or recyclable coffee cases. Or, as Dr. Bowles did, switch to a coffee maker that uses real coffee beans, which he finds both taste better and reduce environmental impact.
“There are alternatives, and you ought to think about the impact of things. I say to people, if you buy a home, do you just walk up to the front and go, ‘Oh, this looks like a really nice house?’ You don’t even walk inside? You just say, ‘I’ll buy it?’ No, you go in, walk around, look, and ask questions. You ask, ‘How come there’s this stuff falling off the wall over there?’ It’s a very important decision, so people question it, but there are all kinds of simple decisions you could consider with a moment’s thought, ‘Maybe I should do that differently. It might be better for the environment. It might even cost less.’”
He wishes policymakers would also employ critical thinking skills. Local government decisions sometimes lack foresight, with politicians making choices without fully considering their long-term implications.
Dr. Bowles emphasizes the significance of critical thinking in the voting process, urging individuals to consider the ramifications of their choices carefully. A frequent complaint he has heard from politicians is that they never have enough time to make well-informed decisions.
“The problem in New Mexico is that we have sessions that are either 30 days or 60 days. We don’t have a Legislature that sits full-time. I remember talking to one senator who was going into a session and said, ‘The problem is somebody will catch me in the hallway, walk along with me, and it’s the last thing I hear about a particular bill. It’s what I remember best because it’s what I just heard.’ Well, that’s not necessarily the best way to make a decision. Having more time would benefit them, but having said that, people need to understand that there’s no such thing as a perfect solution. There are always issues on one side or the other, and one part of critical thinking should be people understand they need to work together. It touches on politics, race, gender identity, etc. Life is a series of compromises.”
Individuals must do their part in the decision-making process.
“In communities, when you vote, there are questions: Do you want to build a new school? Do you want to provide money to improve the roads? Or do you want to build a new athletic field? People need to think those things through because those things take money away from other things. What are your priorities? What do you think is most important? And maybe you say, ‘A new sports stadium would be great.’ Well, maybe that means the kids can no longer take music or art because you don’t have enough money to teach those things. I think filibusters in the Senate are one of the worst things you could do.”
“As far as politics go, a beautiful quote is ‘Of the people, by the people, for the people.’ That was President Lincoln, right? That’s a good motto. Think beyond yourself. Critical thinking is thinking about a wider range of things and how something impacts not just you but everybody. What is the best for the common good?”
Dr. Bowles emphasizes the significance of critical thinking in upholding a thriving democratic society, hoping future generations will grasp its importance. We must consider a wide range of viewpoints and avoid dependence on a sole information source when formulating policy decisions. It is important to take a holistic approach to solving problems.
He relays one of his most vivid recollections from working with Governor Richardson as an example of a lack of holistic thinking. He had an intriguing encounter with an individual who wanted to talk to the Governor.
“This person said, ‘I have all these headaches, and it’s caused by the electricity in the house. I have to get out of the house to get my headaches better.’ I said that scientific studies didn’t really support that. I went on to say, ‘If I understand correctly, you want me to get Governor Richardson to shut off all the electricity in Santa Fe? Is that right?’ And they replied ‘Yes’. I said, ‘OK, I will be sure to tell the Governor that.’ Of course, Richardson wasn’t going to do that. Take just a moment of critical and holistic thinking of everything that would happen. You would light your house with candles and gas lamps. Oh, and guess what? You don’t have water anymore, and your toilet doesn’t work because water pumps use electricity. You can’t use your car because gas station pumps use electricity. What about the hospitals? All these people in critical care are going to die as soon as you turn off the power. People need to think critically and holistically about what impact their actions will have.”
My appointment as Science Advisor was not a political appointment. New Mexico has two national laboratories, two military research laboratories, and three Air Force bases. These contribute a large fraction of the New Mexico budget. So it is important that the Governor has an advisor appointed by the Laboratory who can address all the science issues that come up in the State. What I learned in the Governor’s office changed my views of how things get done in government. I attended every Cabinet meeting, was in meetings in the Governor’s office, and I worked closely with both sides of the aisle in the New Mexico House of Representatives and Senate. I tell people the thing that I learned the most in my four years in the Governor’s office is that I hate politics. But I also say that now I understand, up close and personal, how things get done in politics.
Sometimes things do happen in politics in unexpected ways. Governor Richardson was friends with the Minister of Economy of Japan, As a result, we got an agreement signed on joint economic development. (It proved to be an interesting trip when we were invited to the Minster’s private drinking club in Tokyo.) A few weeks later, a Japanese delegation came to New Mexico asking what this agreement meant. I was asked to greet them at a meeting we were hosting. At the end of my introduction, I casually asked if they were interested in the Smart Grid. My gosh, were they ever interested! We spent the rest of the day talking about the smart grid. This resulted in several Japanese companies receiving $75M in grants from the Japanese government to install smart grids and solar panel systems in New Mexico with the goal of seeing how business is done in New Mexico.
More often, it is efforts that are well thought out and researched before you can launch a new initiative. This leads to two important issues in critical thinking: it is important to strive for a balance in what is done and it is important to be creative in developing solutions to problems. It seems that too often decisions are made from a tops-down approach rather than having people who really understand the problems participate in developing solutions. You really need to have a blend of tops-down and bottoms-up to achieve solid results that are sustainable and don’t result in just creating a different set of problems. One of the hardest things I have found to do in life is to strike a good balance. This seems particularly difficult at the present time in the rush to get things done. The intentions may be well meaning, but the result can be chaos and confusion when things are not carefully considered and which can lead to unexpected consequences. There are always two sides to any story. Using a critical thinking approach that takes advantage of a broad range of inputs from different sources and from different backgrounds, one can strike the balance that is important in making actions acceptable to a broad base. One of the tenets of science is that being inclusive in research leads to the best results.
Critical thinking that includes an aspect of creativity in developing new actions in response to issues is equally important. As Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Rather than the brute force approach to addressing issues that seems to be dominant at the present time, looking for new approaches that include inputs from many different sources can take a holistic approach to problem solving. This can result in actions that both address the issue at hand and make the actions sustainable in a way that doesn’t create new problems. There are many people at different levels of authority that have the know-how and desire to come up with actionable solutions to issues. We must take advantage of these people’s insights and new approaches to problems.
I believe most Americans were raised in believing in Faith, Hope, and Charity. That is to say, most Americans believe in God or an all-powerful being. They also hope for (and work for) a brighter future for themselves and their children. And finally, they believe that those who are far better off should help those who are not. At the present time it unfortunately seems that government is helping make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Government should be supporting efforts to help people achieve their hopes and dreams. This harkens back to President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address where he called for government to be “of the people, by the people, and for the people”.
I believe a major part of the problems facing America is that everything revolves around Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Namely, money is usually the most important part driving decisions. Instead of having total faith in GDP, America might be better served by looking at another approach. The Country of Bhutan has a benevolent King and Queen who have adopted Gross National Happiness (GNH) as an approach to sustainable development that takes a holistic approach to progress. GNH includes considering not only economics, but also good governance, health, education, ecological diversity and resilience, living standards, and community vitality. Every year the King and Queen are rated by the public on their performance in each area and then take actions to address the concerns raised. While I don’t advocate adopting GNH for America, I do think we would be better off by thinking about progress in broader terms than just economics. Again, using critical thinking and creative ways of addressing issues would benefit America.
Finding the optimal solution often involves fostering a collaborative spirit. Dr. Bowles says this approach is crucial when tackling intricate matters in politics and beyond. He reiterates that it is important to take a holistic approach to making decisions. Dr. Bowles’ nonprofit NAIMI takes this approach.
NAIMI was created due to Bowles’ service as Vice-Chair of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science.
“We held a meeting of 100 business, government and education leaders from across the U.S. and Mexico. At the end of the two-day meeting, Dr. Thomas Guevara, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, said, ‘It was not until this meeting that I realized we were not working along the Border as we could or should. I think this initiative has the potential to create a million and a half manufacturing jobs along the Border.’
We connect solutions with problems through a vast network of individuals, organizations, businesses, investors, educators, and government agencies. Too often, you solve your own problem by creating a problem for someone else. Taking a holistic approach avoids this. NAIMI was funded by the U.S. EDA to develop a Clean Energy Economy Roadmap for New Mexico (www.naimi.us) to create jobs that use clean energy, not just install systems. The Roadmap takes into consideration not only economics and the potential for growth but also getting an educated workforce in place, getting government to be business-friendly, considering environmental issues, and forming advisory groups across all of New Mexico. This kind of approach generates a plan for growth that is sustainable.”
NAIMI is now working on a Build to Scale grant to start implementing some of the recommendations of the Clean Energy Economy Roadmap.
In conclusion, Dr. Bowles emphasizes the wealth of reliable resources available on the internet for those interested in learning about science. He underscores the importance of curiosity and the joy of exploration.
“There are all kinds of exciting things about science on the internet. A lot of it has to do with nature, like learning about whales and other new discoveries that people have made. I’m a physicist, but one of the most interesting parts of science is biology. There is a statement that the 20th century was the century of physics. The 21st century will be the century of biology because now we’re trying to understand how systems work, how creatures work, and how our brain works. We’re trying to understand diseases. It’s a lot more complex than trying to solve general relativity.”
He passionately promotes the pursuit of science to the future generation, as it encompasses the fundamental tenets of critical thinking.
“Progress in science and technology translates into better things for society. Start thinking, learn more about science, learn how science is done, and use that approach in your life. That’s how we can advance human society.”
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