GRE Issue Topic 103

Sample 1:

The universe has always fascinated us – from the very dawn of civilization, when everything seemed shrouded in mystery and the unexplainable was the realms of the gods. The curiosity of the human nature is the driving force of our accelerated evolution and the reason why we have developed methods of systematic study – so that we are better able to understand and control our surroundings. As Sir Francis Bacon said – “knowledge is power”.

At the heart of knowledge is the search for truth; of the many ways people try to unravel the mysteries of the universe, scientific research is deemed to be a more accurate understanding of the world. That is because, in essence, scientific research is based on gathering observable and measurable evidence by formulating and testing hypothesis in reproducible experiments. Epistemology, the study of knowledge and how it is acquired, shows us that knowledge gathering is a cumulative process – new theories, no matter how revolutionary, have a basis in previous theories.

Saying that things become more complex and mysterious as we acquire more knowledge means operating under the false assumption that progress is measured by how much we have yet to discover. When humanity is at the start of the line, in terms of understanding the universe and its secrets, progress should be measured by how far we have come, not how far we still have to go.

We should not compare our current knowledge with the sum of all knowledge, but rather with how little we knew in the past. Take, for instance, biology and how much we have progressed from believing that human sickness is a result in the imbalance of humors, to the current day advanced understanding of organs, tissues, cells – down to the DNA level. The same can be said for the rudimentary notions of geography of the past, namely the idea that the Earth was flat and that the Sun was orbiting around it. Comparing these notions to the current understanding of tectonics, landscape formation and astrophysics theories like the existence of dark mater, we can see how far our understanding of the universe has progressed, one step at a time. And while we can in no way say that we know everything that there is to know, we can certainly say that we are able to accomplish so much more than in the past, all thanks to a better understanding of our environment.

As such, the amount of knowledge the average individual possesses, has been steadily growing over the ages – the same can be said for our comprehension. What children learn and are able to grasp in schools today would have been part of the mystery of the universe in the past. This increase in knowledge was observed by Buckminster Fuller and named “the Knowledge Doubling Curve”. He noticed that until 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every century and by the end of World War II knowledge was doubling every 25 years. If one were able to travel through time to a period like the Middle Ages, our knowledge, technology, behaviors and speech would be seen as witchcraft. Like Arthur C. Clarke said: 'Magic's just science that we don't understand yet.'

Part of the issue of thinking that the universe becomes progressively incomprehensible is our wonder with the universe, which, while understandable, also inspires the idea that true knowledge is somehow unattainable. People feel overwhelmed by the vastness and complexity of the universe and hold the belief that our simple mind cannot comprehend it – this psychological phenomenon is called the fallacy of insignificance. Colin Wilson in The Stature of Man claims that this fallacy is an effect of modern–day society that conditions individuals to lack self–worth, as a mechanism of ensuring compliance – people want to become part of the system, in order to escape their feelings on unimportance. People end up operating on the idea that as an individual, they do not matter much in the grand scheme of things, which is why they should belong to something greater that gives their existence meaning.

Last, but not least, people want to believe that the universe maintains its shroud of mystery because the idea of attaining full, complete knowledge is frightening – a fully known universe is predictable and boring, like professor Farnsworth from Futurama stipulates: : ”And, now that I've found all the answers, I realize that what I was living for were the questions!

Sample 2:

Knowledge is the state of being enlightened. It is acquiring information and skills which help you to understand things around you in a better way. It also helps in bringing perfection in a person’s work and life. Knowledge is gained consciously as well as unconsciously. While one makes an effort to acquire knowledge through getting educated and becoming learned it is also through experience that one becomes knowledgeable. It is however questionable as to why gaining knowledge is important. As discussed earlier, it makes you understand your surroundings better and bring perfection in your life. Things become more comprehensible and you gain confidence. However, as a person gains more and more knowledge, it can lead to details, complexities and mysteries, but it is only with more efforts that new study comes to light.

When a child comes into this world, he is completely ignorant and therefore is dependent on his parents. As he grows up, he observes things around him. Slowly he gets the knowledge about what is good and what is bad for him. It is only when he gains the knowledge of his surroundings that he is capable of being on his own. He comes to know that by putting his hand in a fire, he might get burnt, and by playing with sharp objects he can hurt himself. In case this does not happen, he would remain dependent upon others all his life. Therefore, knowledge makes you independent and practical in life.

It is with exercising one’s brain and gaining knowledge that we are living in this age. Without the knowledge of agriculture, we would not be able to produce food for ourselves, without the knowledge of iron we would not be able to set up industries. Similarly, the knowledge of human body and medicines helps us to keep fit and live a healthy life. Such things are basic to our life and life is incomprehensible without them.

Apart from the basic knowledge of things, one needs to acquire specific knowledge as well. That makes him survive in the world by making a place for himself. For example, if a person gains the knowledge of carpentry, he can extend his knowledge to others who do not have this specific skill and earn his living.

A person goes on acquiring information unless he is satisfied. However, there are unlimited things unknown to man. There are a number of things that are unexplainable and accepted as they are. It is only with the efforts of someone that we can have an explanation of these things. We did not know anything about the universe unless it was explored. The biggest of inventions and discoveries have been possible only by indulging in them. If we retreat our steps for the fear of getting jumbled up in complexities, new inventions and discoveries would never be possible.

However, in the pursuit of acquiring knowledge, one must not lose ground and get lost in the complexities. While it is important to gain knowledge, it is also important to keep your balance and not get lost in finding solutions to mysterious and complex situations.