Science (feat. Arto Tunçboyacıyan)

I think the meaning's a bit more nuanced than "uggg, science bad, me no like" judging by the opening.

"Making two possibilities a reality, Predicting the future of things we all know, Fighting off the diseased programming Of centuries, centuries, centuries, centuries."

From this section it sounds like science is actually acting against "the diseased programming" of our old dogmas and hatreds, like fundamentalist religion. The "two possibilities" described are utopia and annihilation, the world of the polio vaccine and the world of the atom bomb.

"Science fails to recognize the single most Potent element of human existence letting the reigns go to the unfolding Is faith, faith, faith, faith."

The ultimate flaw of science is not that it's immoral. It's amoral. It doesn't tell you what to do, just how to do it. It ignores the most "potent element of human existence", which the rest of the song suggests is some sort of New Age pantheistic spirit of love. Believing science without a moral framework will lead to utopia when it could just as easily destroy everything is "letting the reigns go to the unfolding" of man's possibly horrifying destiny, an act of blind faith, not logic.

I like Fuxicle's comment. That's definitely what the song is about. I would add, however, that it's also talking about how science has failed to answer questions about spirituality, the question of "meaning" in particular. Science tells us how to make an atom bomb, but says nothing about what to do with that information. Science tells us how life began, what it consists of biologically, etc.., but not what it means to exist, whether or not life has a meaning, or what to do with our life (morality). I'm not saying that this is science's responsibility, I think those sorts of questions should be left up for us to decide individually at best, at worst left up to religion and philosophy to answer. I think this song is talking about how everyone views science as the apex of human knowledge and this grandiose thing that can determing fact from fiction, truth from falsehood and puts science on this pedastool above things like religion, philosophy, psychology, etc..and there's a bit of hypocrisy in that. This song is basically saying "if science is so fucking great then why can't it answer these questions that are actually meaningful and matter?" "Who cares about how life formed a billion years ago I want to know about my life, my purpose, my meaning, my truth, etc..." Science is great it gives us many things, like high tech microphones, and gives us understanding of the world and even universe around us, but if your looking for answers about meaning look elsewhere.

it's in the song. Serj is talking about how science can discover alot of things, but it fails to realize that the most important part of ones life is their faith, something science can't really fill...

OPD, you're one to mock bruisa's spelling.

You are so damn closed-minded.

I agree. But perhaps in addition it is implied that society has placed too much importance on scientific knowledge. The result being a loss of spirituality and the environmental devastation that has occurred along with all the industrial and military expansion that has accomanied scientific discovery.

I'm not sure, but in english does faith only means "religious faith"? Can't you believe in something else? I don't know... in man, yourself, your friends, nature, anything else? Anyway, for me these lyrics doesn't imply religion automatically...

Yeah it can, I myself have faith in other human beings. And chaos. Heheheh.

I think it's deeper than just 'religious faith'. Sure they use the word faith but the 'spirit moves thru all things' is more in line with say eastern ideas and some teachings of Jesus.

As science approaches the quantum level, the observer becomes an integral part of the system, and our cartesian split paradigm can no longer be held true. The discoveries of quantum physics alludes to things such as a holistic universe and parellel mystical experience, which is the spirit or faith of man. Try not to get caught up in the dogma of religion and look at it's core. Also, read The Tao of Physics, Ken Wilber or perhaps even The Holographic Universe. ;) Science and Religion are starting to vibe together more and more, as people throw out their close minded assumptions. (ex: fundamentalists and athiests)

Well i've got impression that this song is about how we count too much on science and ignore the potential of human beings. Science just makes us like biological robots who should work in factory called society and we all should just be good citizens who pay their taxes, buy a lot of products and obey goverment.

We have abilities that science likes to ignore. Out of body experiences(astral projection), shamanism, Lucid Dreams, Remote viewing, chakras, telepathy etc.. And also possibility that next step in our evolution might be spiritual waking, ascension to new level. Also for example mayans who weren't that scientific, more like spiritual had calendar system that is 12,000 times more accurate than our system that is going on now and they new a lot about things that weren't available for science at those times (no huge telescopes, microscopes, fancy science labs). Other old civilizations have also had wonderful information that has been forgotten. For example vedas, that had info about UFOs, ancient indian literature. And Pyramids all over world etc...

Dream yogis and monks in east have also a lot information about human psyche, subconsiousness and other wisdom that should get more attention, they have been studying for long time human consciousness through meditation and other such mind related techniques.

Science is restricting if you take it as absolute truth that changes slowly and only when science elite/community accepts those new things. And change comes only when you have hard proof which is impossible to have in rational old fashioned way in some areas. Too far fetching theorys are usually laughed at, and taken as mumbo jambo. Of course science has bringed a lot good too but with terrible cost and it has become too much like religion for materialists. It comforts them and gives them something solid to believe in. But we can thank science even for this ability to change opinions through internet right now from all around the world so lot of good it has done too.

Formal, byrocratic religion is here just to control masses, and give believers comfort like science gives to skeptics. Jesus was here but his message wasn't to obey rules made by greed power tripping religious elite. Of course there is lot of goodhearted people into christianity to feel more safe and feel like they are part of big holier than thou group. And Jesus' love and understanding message was beautiful.

Sorry for long first post in here. Sorry for bad EnQlisH. Sorry for missing the subject a little ;) quote from memory:"We aren't humans experiencing spiritual things but spiritual beings experiencing humanity. "Spirit-moves-through-all-things."

ok i am sorry but the ignorance displayed here pisses me off by most of you. first of all, SOAD is not into the whole god in heaven thing. they believe that spirit is in all things andd that there is a higher energy above them but not in GOD in heaven or any organized religion for htat matter. this song is not saying that religion vs science or anything like that, or god heals the sick not science or even those who say soad is wrong becaue science cures people not faith..

this song is about how over the years our technology has increased. we started as simple beings but now grew and now have things like cell fones and stuff. as time went by since we wanted to advance, human beings just kept working longer, faster, more, we forgot why we are here. although we do not have a true purpose because we do not know why, but our technology is destroying the planet rather hten preserving it, therefore this technology was made possible by sceince, and it has failed our mother earth since it is destryoing it. aslo SOAD is saying science has all the answers but science doesnt realize that what keeps human beings going is thier faith. otherwise people wont htink they have a true purpose. he also goes on to state that he believes regardless of scienticif proof, spirit still moves through all thigns. NOT AS IN A CHRISTIAN BELIEF OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, REMEMBER SYSTEM OF A DOWN IS VERY OPEN MINDED. also the song says that over hte thousands of years man existed they built htier society based on thier religion, like roman catholics and wat not, and science has proved religion false and is fiting off the diesease programming of centuries in this way. science doesnt realize that society in those days could not have been made without their faith and religion. so religion and faith actually helped science because without it, society could not have been created, since they made society based on htier religions in those days. only later on was did scientif proof start to evolove off of wat was made by the years of religious countries and society etc.