Note: The open exchange of ideas, opinions and information is imperative to ensure our world, our country and our community are the best they can be. While this exchange is alive and well in Homer, the young people of the community often are left out of the dialogue. Neglecting the opinions of students not only leaves gaps in the network of ideas, but it also teaches young citizens that what they think doesn't matter.

In an effort to share students' perspectives with the community, the Homer News and Homer Alaska Youth for Environmental Action are collaborating to create "Our Future, Our Voice." Every month, "Our Future, Our Voice" will feature a Homer student sharing his or her opinion on an issue important to the student. Students who are interested in contributing to "Our Future, Our Voice" should contact Katie Gavenus at 235-1823 or katie_aspen@hotmail.com. This month Homer High School senior Adrian Ryan shares his thoughts on science.

I love science. To me, science is beautiful. However, many people do not hold this view. It is amazing that, even in today's modern world, a large number of people do not appreciate or give credence to science. Even in America, among the most technologically and scientifically advanced countries in the world, few people accept science as the best way to get to the truth, and many people are downright skeptical of anything called science.

There are many reasons for this, including the growing influence of religion and spirituality, the way in which science is politicized and the media's portrayal of science as unreliable. All of these are fairly self-explainable, but I would like to point out some facts about each.

The unfortunate fact is that most people who disregard science do so because of personal political or religious beliefs. The religious reason is probably more obvious and may happen more often. The truth is that this does not happen just with conservative fundamentalists, but also with those in the liberal camp.

I have heard unscientific statements such as "When there is enough love in the world we will stop making war," and "Anxiety is when the spirit and physical selves are not in sync," stated seriously by people who consider themselves intelligent and well-educated. These beliefs are as harmful to science as are beliefs that creation should be taught in the classroom as science.

The reason these ways of thinking are dangerous is not because they are against science, but because they are uninformed attacks against the best method of informing people. Science was invented solely for the purpose of helping people come to logical conclusions based on observation and measurement.

Religion, on the other hand, helps people with emotional questions and moral enigmas, but cannot be used to prove things. When one tries to substitute religious or spiritual beliefs for scientific facts, one is in essence substituting ignorance for knowledge. While this can make people feel better, it makes it impossible to make informed decisions.

Now, I have nothing against religion. I myself was religious at one point in my life, and I hold nothing against the idea of religion. However, I cannot respect when people choose to believe something on faith alone, with no logic behind their belief, and then force that belief on others. Whether the belief is that God created the universe in seven days or that there is a Gaia that we are hurting by driving cars, these opinions have no place in a classroom.

I do, however, have the utmost respect for people who have seriously thought through their faiths, who have examined the metaphysics behind it and have logically come to the conclusion that their faith is best for them. Often these people do not shove their faith down my throat, but ask me to examine my own beliefs and show me how their beliefs work for them. It is only through this meaningful exchange of ideas that minds are really changed for the better.

The other thing in life that often discredits science is politics. So often now, scientific "facts" are used to support both sides' political agendas and so rarely are all the data given a fair shake in deciding public policy. These uses of scientific facts give the public the false views that science is inherently contradictory and is often proven wrong. In actuality, what is used to form public policy is often not actual science, and fewer and fewer scientists are sitting on committees to make policy. The meaningful exchange I spoke of earlier does not happen enough within politics, which gives science a bad rap.

The other way politics debases science is that many choose to interpret scientific results by their political leaning, especially on issues such as global warming. If more people — politicians and otherwise — were willing to stick their necks out and make unpopular claims, using evidence as it should be used and not morphing it to their own purposes, then maybe science wouldn't be thought of as such a fickle thing.

The way to correct this is simple. Education. Not only in school, but through self-education also. People, make sure your children take science classes. They will teach them, if nothing else, how to think critically on issues and to know when data are not saying what someone wants them to believe.

Also, Homer is full of opportunities to teach oneself about science. There is a great community college with excellent biology and geology courses that examine our local surroundings, the bay and mountains. Take some classes; they don't cost much. Check out the museum or visitor's center. Also, watch "Nova." Read the science section of the New York Times. Read Popular Science. Read anything.

By teaching yourself about science you will be enriching your life and having fun. So few things in this world accomplish both of those.

Adrian Ryan has lived in Homer his whole life. He loves science and philosophy, but also loves to take full advantage of his surroundings by hiking, skiing and taking geology courses about the bay. He's a founding member of Homer Alaska Youth for Environmental Action.