At The Catalyst, our stated mission is to “bridge the gap between the sciences and the humanities.” But what exactly does this mean, and further, why is it important? Science is often considered an objective realm of knowledge, separate from human biases or contingencies. While it may be empirically grounded in sensory input from the outside world, though, scientific knowledge is still only a “map” or representation of nature, not the terrain itself. There is no escaping the fact that science is produced by people, and is therefore mediated by the lens of the human mind. The question of whether we can ever transcend our subjectivities is an open one. However, investigating the social and political conditions that shape the production of science is critical to maximizing its accuracy. In this issue of The Catalyst, “Paracelsus” explores the human role in science by taking on the perspective of a seventeenth century physician. “Chopped Liver” highlights science’s status as a human representation by pointing out how the scientific terms we use to describe the body can never be more than metaphors.

Beyond the human role in the production of science, scientific knowledge profoundly affects people. Since science is a truth marker in our society, its principles form the foundation of many people’s most basic beliefs about the world. “Time and God” explains how scientific explanations of time can be used to understand the concept of an all-powerful God. “The Search for Human-ness” uses genetic theories to speculate about what defines us as people. Besides scientific knowledge affecting our beliefs, its application in technology is extremely powerful and far-reaching, and has, in many ways, built our modern world. The identification of a microscopic particle, the atom, for example, led to the invention of a bomb that killed millions of people. Also, today we are beginning to see the effects of technology on our environment – both for worse and for better. “Electric Cars” talks about how an emerging electric car industry in Israel could help chart the path to a sustainable energy future. “Put Out to Pasture” explores the human response to medical technology. Finally, “To Test or not to Test” addresses some of the moral questions that arise in the practice of science.

Science is not just an isolated body of knowledge in some objective, nonhuman realm; it both shapes and is shaped by people in profound and pervasive ways. The connection between the sciences and the humanities, then, is not simply circumstantial – two separate spheres that happen to sometimes intersect. Rather, people are essential to science. For this reason it is so important to expand the discourse on science, which is too often left exclusively to the domain of scientists. We must use the tools developed by humanistic disciplines to further define science’s meaning and implications. We hope this issue of The Catalyst can be a step in that process.

Sincerely,

Noa Appleton and Emily Sorg
Editors-in-Chief