We have seen in part one how education can be a pretty good way
to become more science literate. But what if your science
studies are but a dim and cobwebby memory? How can you keep up
with the kids, if you have them? Professor John Holman, the
science education adviser to the government says that parents
should spend time with their children watching science
programmes on TV, read popular science books – “there are some
brilliant popular science books around now by people like Simon
Singh” – read science stories in the papers, read science blogs,
and take an interest in their children’s science homework. Even
if you’re not a parent, how do you simply keep up with what’s
going on in the world around you as it is rapidly and inexorably
changing? What was that saying; Ignorance is bliss? No, no,
“There is no darkness but ignorance”. See the statue of
Shakespeare to the left. It’s in Leicester Square. I like this
because one of literature’s great, or greatests, is saying
something so relevant to knowledge, or la