Another day, another pop science myth busted – micro-blogging site X was recently rife with speculation and misplaced concern about a recent report on ‘the Sun being conscious’. The article, published on Futurism.com, said that a ‘biologist’ had made the claim. One screenshot later, X erupted with this information, with everyone adding a piece of their own consciousness to it. Some even claimed “they always knew” about this horror-movie plotline-esque story, while others made jokes at its expense.
Yet, no one on social media sincerely questioned the veracity of the claim, taking it at face value simply because a biologist was associated with it. A cursory glance at the actual news article would let readers know, however, that it is a flimsy story based on a strain of thought called ‘panpsychism’. The theory, propagated by Italian scholar Francesco Patrizi in the 16th century, suggests that all matter is essentially ‘conscious’ and has a mind or a mind-like quality. The theory is attributed more to philosophy than to science and isn’t rooted in or has been proved using scientific methodology.
Don’t believe half-baked ‘scientific’ studies
The mass acceptance and reinforcement of views on social media, which can potentially influence millions, does immense damage to scientific temper and the quest for knowledge in a world where misinformation travels faster than light. Even sad is to see science become a medium for carrying false beliefs.
The article by Futurism.com itself says that “there isn’t a lick of evidence of support for this theory,” which should have been enough for the topic to not even have been given a second thought by anyone. What we saw unfold online, though, was just the wondrous power of social media where a rumour or, more dangerously, a half-baked ‘scientific’ study, can reach halfway around the world before anyone even starts to question its legitimacy.
be nice to the conscious sun!!! this is literally her https://t.co/OD4CH1I6Au pic.twitter.com/jhahEbRD2I
— 🎀 dove 🎀 (@lovedoveclarke) March 26, 2024
“BIOLOGIST SAYS THE SUN MAY BE CONSCIOUS”
This is a known fact by every single experienced sun gazer lmao https://t.co/8CQnKGkOxX pic.twitter.com/EwwvMxTOH2
— DR22 Ω 🪬🎭 (@DejaRu22) March 25, 2024
The magical words ‘by a biologist’ or ‘scientists claim’ or the mention of anyone remotely serious-sounding in the headline is enough for social media users to jump on the pop-science-fad bandwagon. The incident isn’t just a cautionary tale for journalists and science practitioners on packaging theories differently from facts. It is also an insight into current global sensibilities. People believe this information because they want to believe it. The gimmick is crazy enough to be ‘fun’ if found true. Somewhere deep underground, away from the conscious Sun, critical thinking is rolling in its grave.
It is horror if the misinformation lands in a WhatsApp group of Uncles, or worse, a Resident Welfare Association group full of retired uncles itching to press the forward button. WhatsApp University can do more damage to science than a government funding cut!
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Leave pop science behind
The Sun being conscious isn’t a potential problem for humanity. Even if the panpsychism theory holds true scientifically, it only indicates that consciousness is an attribute shared by all entities including the Sun.
Rupert Sheldrake, the biologist quoted in the article who has also written a 2021 paper called ‘Is the Sun Conscious?’, suggests that theories of the consciousness and living quality of the Sun have been around since ancient civilisations first came into existence. Panpsychism says that ‘self-organising’ systems like atoms and cells have a consciousness, and since the Sun is one of the fundamental constituents of the physical world, Sheldrake contends that the argument extends to it. Scientifically speaking though, the basic need for consciousness is a functioning brain and a cerebral cortex, which the Sun currently lacks.
Unlike the Sun, humans are blessed with a consciousness. But are we using it to differentiate science from the unproved? It’s like we almost want to take that leap of superstition and if science can come in handy in that, then why not?
How un-serious (for lack of a better word) the theory currently is can be understood by looking at Sheldrake’s interview, where he said that if the Sun were indeed conscious, it could “choose which direction to send solar flares to”. So not only would we have a thinking Sun, we would have a vindictive one too.
All this to say that if every obscure stream of science and philosophy starts gaining traction because of well-placed and timed news articles and social media posts, it could sound the death knell for the scientific method, evidence, and facts that STEM fields have worked so hard to cultivate. Not to be a categorical denialist, but a little fact-checking would take us a long way. Grow your consciousness.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)