Why Do Good People Resent Science? (In "Jaws," For Example)

I want to look at the state of wonder in America, and see what it has to do with widespread resentment toward science. In particular, I want to say a few things about Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), the marine biologist in the movie "Jaws."

"Jaws" is a good test case because it has been extremely popular ever since it came out in 1975, and movies with this sort of ongoing appeal often play on complex cultural tensions or ambivalances. Hooper is also interesting. Rather than a twisted scientist in the mold of Dr. Strangelove, Hooper is portrayed as an ethical, likeable person, using his scientific knowledge to help save the island of Amity. Most importantly, Hooper is a scientist filled with a sense of wonder, as you can tell from his fascination with sharks, which he refers to as a "miracle of evolution." So how could anyone resent a scientist like Hooper?

The biggest clue is Hooper's obsession with measurement. He's constantly trying to measure the exact physical dimensions of the sharks in the film, all while talking about bite radiuses, proportions, and scale.

These measurements might seem unimportant until you remember that Hooper doesn't just study sharks, he also kills them. He fully embraces the mission to kill "Jaws," and, in the end, it's his air tank that gets the job done.

It's not just this one shark that Hooper kills. I would argue that Hooper embodies a popular view of scientists as killers of mystery. In this view, science is a threat to our sense of wonder and awe at the sublime mysteries of the world, from the mysteries of the deep seas to outer space and everything in between. Nothing gets spared from science's relentless measurements and authoritative explanations. Most people appreciate the discoveries and technological applications coming from scientists, but some think scientists have too much power and wish they would leave more to the imagination. Even those somewhere in the middle long for mysteries that haven't been studied to death.

Some readers may object that science actually increases wonder by opening up new questions for investigation. That's fine, but I think it's important to recognize that millions of people don't view science the same way, or at least not all the time. In fact, even committed believers in science often enjoy holding onto a sense of mystery in certain cases, such as when believing a dream predicted the future, sensing the presence of a dead loved one, or throwing a coin in a fountain for good luck. They even feel that those mysteries touch deep parts of their soul.

I just hope more people will recognize that a longing for mystery and wonder plays a part in reservations about science. Maybe doing so will create more understanding of others and ourselves.

That's probably the biggest difference between 1975 and today. Back in the 70s, when "Jaws" first came out, it was still possible to imagine a fisherman, a scientist, and a police chief riding in the same boat, in pursuit of the same goal, despite their major differences. These days they'd probably get separate boats and start yelling at each other before they even got out of the harbor.

We're really in trouble when we can no longer recognize our common interest in both science and mystery. ___________________

Related Reading: For more on awe and social solidarity, check out my short essay titled "Why We Throw Coins in Fountains."