Amy Janiak

When we strive to solve the problems in the world, we destroy the mystery that enlightens us. Mystery is destroyed every time we discover new things or solve more problems. The more knowledge we acquire will sooner or later unveil the mysteries. We, as humans, will strive to understand our world and ourselves until we know all there is worth knowing. I might even go as far to say that we already know all there is to know about our world. We just need to take time and sort out which answers will solve which problems. If nothing else, life is a comprehensive cycle; we will unravel the patterns around us and apply them to all the unsolved mysteries. A wise man once said, Those creatures who find everyday experience a muddled jumble of events, with no predictability, no regularity, are in grave peril.

Dorothy, I believe going to see the wizard is a mistake. If he gives us answers to our problems our adventure will be over, the mystery gone. Let us turn back now and not venture any further.

(So Dorothy and the Straw-man decide to return to munchkin land, where things would remain unpredictable and free. They begin back until they hear a voice of reason coming from the forest.)

The more we discover about our world the less confusion, thus the less mystery. This is the common belief for a layperson. What we must take into consideration is that educated people can be wrong. We should not be naive and accept everything they tell us. For example, for centuries' scientists and scholars told people that the world was flat, and the people believed them. It was not until Columbus made his voyage successfully, without falling off the side of the earth that people believed otherwise. Educated people were wrong then and they could be wrong again. If we rely on everything scientists tell us then in years from now we might find out that they made yet another mistake. Then we not only will have failed to solve a mystery, but we will have developed more problems and created more confusion in our world. Ultimately, people make mistakes; not every thing we are told is reliable.

The knowledge we acquire will lead us to the answers of the remaining mysteries. Although this statement is very true the opposition has credibility too. When we solve one mystery we might uncover an entire new set of mysteries and problems. Allow me to explain. As a child interested in the sky, I asked my mother, What are those bright dots? Stars, she told me. At that moment I had discovered stars, which led me to a whole new world of mystery. From then on questions formulated about: constellations, planets, galaxies, shooting stars, falling stars, comets, etc... Proving that every answer produces more questions. We are left with an endless chain of events, an ongoing mystery.

We as human find pleasure in understanding. We will strive to understand until we solve all the mysteries. Yes, it is true that we strive every day, knowingly and unknowingly, to educate ourselves. We find pleasure in comprehending and uncovering the unknown. I will even go as far as to say that some people find fright with the unknown so they live each day to understand themselves and their surroundings. Although all these statements are true and understandable, what still surfaces is the fact that different people observe different things. He sees the glass half full; she sees the glass half empty. There will never be one respected agreement to all the answers of life. People can barely agree upon one political party let alone the answer to the world in which we live.

Life is a comprehensive cycle; we will unravel the patterns around us and apply them to all that is unknown, until the mystery is gone. Throughout much of science and our world patterns are used, and they are very helpful at answering the new questions that remain and those that will surface. Carl Sagan shows us patterns with the grain of salt, explaining the laws of nature and their connection. But what we must realize is that some mysteries will never and can never have answers. Patterns can be false security. For example, a child exploring a kitchen may come across a hat, and wear if proudly. It is not until her parents find her later that she realizes coffee filters are not hats. There are many simularities, or patterns that the child sees between the two objects, the hat and the coffee filter, but in reality the two objects are very different. Their uses are very different despite their simular patterns. Things are not always what they seem. The patterns we find may have an entirely different existence for things other than what we use them for. We can not rely on what we know to get us through all that lies ahead.

We may already know all we need to know about the world; now all that is left is to apply our knowledge to the everyday dilemmas. In our world today we have answered many of the mysterious events and questions that have faced us. Through our efforts we have found overlapping answers and cures that heal more than one unknown. Yet we should not forget that the world is still young and many of the problems we will encounter have not been heard of or even developed. More problems will come that will go beyond our knowledge and stump us once again. There are many mysteries now that we cannot solve. What came first the chicken or the egg? Why is the sky up and not down, and why is the grass green and not blue? Those that know it all are those that know nothing. We have much to learn about our environment and ourselves.

If you have not guessed it yet, I believe that scientific knowledge will never take the mystery out of life. I do not believe that we could ever know it all; we are simply not capable. Besides, who really wants to know the meaning behind all the mystery? Mysteries will survive for the very reason that we are not supposed to know everything. For example, will we ever know if there is life after death? Will we ever know how the first human really came to be? Some dilemmas need to remain mysteries. I have confidence in science and all that it involves. I have confidence in the scientists and their ability to solve the problems. I just do not believe that we will every be all knowing. Some things need to be left to the unknown. But then again that is only what I think. To me my life is a mystery in itself.

So will scientific knowledge take the mystery out of life? Will we ever figure out the ways of the world? Or will we forever be inhibited by more questions? Do you have the answers? Does the straw-man really have a brain? Have you been persuaded to believe one way or another? Yes? No? Well then I guess there is yet another question needing an answer or should I say another unsolved mystery. Prepare yourself; life is full of them.

Dorothy, Straw-man, Tin-man: ... if ever a wonderful wiz there was the Tin-man is the one because....because of the wonderful things he knows...we're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz.