ABOUT THIS EPISODE
I initially found the idea of “decolonizing science” troubling. Does it mean treating personal revelation as equal to evidence? Does it require rejecting the scientific method because it developed largely within European institutions?
Rather than argue against a caricature, I spoke with Innu astrophysicist Dr. Laurie Rousseau-Nepton.
We discuss what decolonization actually means in science, how culture influences the questions researchers ask, and whether Indigenous oral traditions can preserve legitimate astronomical knowledge.
We also explore dreams, scientific bias, the controversy surrounding telescopes on Maunakea, and the difference between scientifically explaining the universe and finding meaning within it.
Can science include more perspectives without compromising evidence and rational inquiry?
