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About
Us | Definitions | Principles
| People | Bylaws This page is a summary of the context and objectives that led to the formation of the Science Integration Institute. For a complete overview of the ideas behind science integration and a guide to how you might begin applying them to your own life, please see the book, An Ordinary World: The Role of Science in Your Search for Personal Meaning. The core idea behind science integration is the recognition that our lives are dominated by the need to make choices, and these choices are guided by a "mental map" or worldview through which we perceive the external world. We all operate within a map or framework of concepts that make sense of the world to us, which we use to formulate our goals, hopes, and dreams, and to seek ways to overcome obstacles in our lives. Insights about the universe uncovered through science can have much to say about the map we make to give meaning and significance to our lives. But often we live in a very disconnected state: We have abstract and evolving knowledge of the scientific universe on the one hand, and the immediate need for a guide to our individual choices on the other hand. How do we bring these together, so that we can guide our immediate choices from a perspective that is informed by and connected to the big picture, making full use of insights uncovered by the process of science? This is the aim of our programs: to help people construct maps for themselves that make use of the information gathered by science, but that also provide a clear indication of where we are on the map and how we relate to the rest of the universe. The Institute was founded by and is primarily operated by professional scientists, science educators, and engineers. Our programs are intended to serve people with a variety of spiritual, religious, and philosophical beliefs. We help assimilate and integrate scientific knowledge, pointing out connections and suggesting possible implications, but our aim is to help you draw your own conclusions about how best to use the information in your life. |
