How Handy?

In the Pipeline's Derek Lowe wants to know, of what value is a scientific background in jobs not relating to research, or in life in general? The "ideas of a scientist's world view," he says, are pretty "basic." First, the natural world goes on no matter what humans think or believe at any given moment. Next, the natural world conforms to a set of rules — these could be complex, but they can be figured out. Third, Lowe says, the way to figure out these rules is to "ask questions of the world in an organized fashion" through observations or experiments. And finally, he adds, since the world is so complex, it's better to ask questions that are as well thought-out as possible. A scientific outlook is the backdrop for the entire modern world, Lowe says, and therefore must be worth something. "I think that for any kind of work that requires brainpower and adaptability, a scientific background should come in handy," he adds. The real question is, "how handy?"