Curiosity

In an interview, Neil deGrasse Tyson emphasizes the importance of curiosity:

[P]eople like dividing up all the problems and creating movements surrounding each one. And I think at the end of the day what we’re really missing maybe is widespread, rampant curiosity. The kind of curiosity that children have. We need more of that in adults. Because if you’re curious, then you’ll say, “Oh, I wonder why that works that way.” You didn’t have to take a class in it, your own curiosity forces you to go to Wikipedia, or get a book on it, or rent a video. And that curiosity grows the knowledge base of everyone.

But I found his conclusion a bit surprising.

So I promise on this: If all people were curious, that would just solve everything, I think. Almost everything. It’ll solve so much of what today we identify as problems that need separate solutions.

The thought occurred to me that curiosity does get shut down by dogmatism.  Marianne Elliot has a story about her father handling her religious questions--a choice between giving the "right answer" or saying "those are really good questions".  There do seem to be psychological differences between conservatives and liberals.  When you let ideology determine the facts you believe, you are cutting off curiosity.  And, yes, I'd say it's Republicans who predominately act that way.  Their political agenda on behalf of the elite determines the "right answer" for a given issue.  Curiosity has no place in that worldview.

And so it's no surprise when the National Review attacks intellectual accomplishment (or "nerd" culture)--even to the point of featuring Tyson on the magazine cover.  Being smart becomes just a way to spite the Right.  Asking, "do you think you're better than me?" works to downplay the strength of evidence.  Curiosity is actually dangerous.  Who knows where we would end up if everyone started asking important questions? Powerful careers and large fortunes might be lost--and some major problems (climate change? inequality?) just might get solved.