Moon mission highlights need for scientific temper

An illustration shows the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s surface

Days after the Vikram lander touched down on the South Pole of the moon, news continues to pour in about the rover on the moon. Some recent new cites how the rover moved from a previous path, since there was a very large crater on the moon.

Most of all, the sheen is still bright on this achievement with celebrations, fierce debate and pride at being the first country to go to the South Pole of the moon. All the politicking and controversy, both national and global notwithstanding, Indians are revelling in the achievements of our scientists and our youngsters seem fired up by the achievement and hugely inspired.

Pride and inspiration is all very well, but what we can take away from this is to develop a scientific temper. This means not falling for mumbo-jumbo routines spun by our conmen.

Every week, we will hear stories about some conman or fraud trapping people through some clever shams. From black magic or some other tricks accompanied by all kinds of what one can call accessories, smoke, beads, leaves, colour, essence and some incoherent nonsense, people are deceived by so many.

Some have lost money, others have lost spouses and yet others, in extreme cases, have lost their lives. In so many cases we see women becoming sexual targets. The victims live on in fear, shame and depression, caving in to the pressure or sometimes even dying by suicide because of blackmail.

We must show we value our scientists by putting science first. We must become a society of scientific temper. A country where rationalists have to run away or are killed because they have exposed some frauds is a country that does not put science where it should be, in our hearts and most of all in our minds. That should be the true takeaway for the layperson from the moon mission.