ABSTRACT
From phenomen a o f seemin g simplicit y t o thos e o f unimaginabl e complexity, scientifc research at the turn of the 21st century is advancing our understanding s o f th e natura l worl d a t a breathtakin g pace . Many of thes e fndings ar e not mere incremental accumulations o f “scientif c facts.” New perspectives are being articulated, dealing with phenomena ranging from quarks to the origin of life, that often challenge our everyday notions of the world. Much of this knowledge is diffcult t o understand, yet it signifcantly impacts our daily lives nonetheless, changing the foods we eat, the work we do, and the global conditions of the world in which we live. An understanding of these ideas is important, for both students in school and for an informed citizenry. Unfortunately, scientifc knowledge formulated eve n prio r t o th e 20t h century-fro m Newton’ s law s o f motion to Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection-has proven challenging for students to learn. Making the sciences of the 21st century understandable will no doubt prove to be an even greater challenge.
