January 25, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 24, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Eminent physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy has called for putting science at work to remove myths from the minds of the people. Prof Hoodbhoy made the call in his keynote address at the first session of a three-day science and media workshop which opened here on Tuesday. It has been organized by the Pakistan Science Foundation, the Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Centre and Allama Iqbal Open University’s mass communication department.

It is the age of scientific reasoning, the physicist said, but a lot many people in the country continued to believe that a black cat crossing the path would bring misfortune, that children born during sun or moon eclipse would become deformed or that the recent earthquake was a manifestation of God’s displeasure.

“We know all this as tripe but we have to convince the people in scientific causes. That is where the media came in,” said the scientist who is also a peace activist.

He suggested to the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) to popularize science in the country the way it was done in India where scientists and science students were tasked with explaining the unusual phenomenon to common man. Same could be done by spreading scientific knowledge through the media.

Prof Hoodbhoy said three years ago he received a call from a contractor from Leiah who wanted to come with a group of 35 young students to learn about natural things. “The whole countryside is equally hungry for science.”

Dr Anwar Nasim, an adviser to Comstech who presided over the session, said scientists had been doing their bit for a long time to propagate a culture of science.

Minister of State for Information Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, the chief guest at the inaugural session, stressed the importance of conveying scientific explanations to the people about natural events to stem panic, as in the case of the October 8 earthquake.

She observed that a section of the media acted irresponsibly on that occasion by predicting further earthquakes.