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A song written for March For Science Berlin in April 2017. In this piece we look at some misguided criticisms of science and scientific progress. We ask if the three worlds of science, art and spirituality can be reconciled (spoiler alert: they can).
Some passages from the Rave Bible are quoted. The similarities between doing science well and doing music well are discussed. I lament my underachievement on guitar. Mike has a (relatively mild by his standards) go at people who moan about “the modern world”. Coronavirus is scarcely mentioned, which is nice.
Lyrics
So the world’s complex and it’s all going over your head.
We’re tired of experts so we’re gonna ask morons instead.
Fake facts, fake news, fake people, fake boobs, fake fear…
Where can you turn to make everything you learn seem clear?
If you want to know the truth,
do some maths construct a proof,
conduct your own experiments,
and you can win the arguments with SCIENCE.
A quarter of Americans don’t believe the earth goes round the sun.
Half of Americans don’t believe in evolution.
Is it any wonder that the modern world’s causing them confusion?
When they’re 500 years late for the scientific revolution.
You wanna take part,
you gotta get smart.
Don’t just bluff,
Learn about stuff.
Listen in class,
so you don’t talk arse.
If you spout claptrap
you’re gonna get a slap
from SCIENCE
Stand up for science
Stand up for science
Show your defiance and stand up for science
Stand up for science
Stand up for science
Join our alliance, stand up for science
We’re not particularly political but watch out because we’re fast learners.
We’re going to storm the Whitehouse armed with our Bunsen Burners.
Evidence based politics would truly be magnificent.
We’re going to make our voices statistically significant.
If we ignore what science says
We’ll be back in the dark ages
Hanging up in metal cages
Copying out bible pages
Dying of bubonic plagues
(Chorus)
If you want to know the score
knock on a professor’s door
they’ll tell you what’s going on
but still admit if they were wrong
that’s SCIENCE
(Chorus)