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Natural Science and Humanities Concepts in Interdisciplinary Projects: Bridge the Gap Between Humanists and Scientists

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Natural Science and Humanities Concepts in Interdisciplinary Projects: Bridge the Gap Between Humanists and Scientists Natural Science and Humanities Concepts in Interdisciplinary Projects: Bridge the Gap between Humanists and Scientists senior researcher/rocha cabral research institute, lisbon, Portugal Maria Burguete All earnest and honest human quests for knowledge are efforts to under- stand Nature, which includes both human and nonhuman systems, the objects of study in science. Thus, broadly speaking, all these quests are in the science domain. The methods and tools may be different; for example, the literary people use mainly their bodily sensors and their brain as the information processor, while natural scientists may use, in addition, measur- ing instruments and computers. Yet, all these activities could be viewed in a unified perspective: they are scientific developments at varying stages of maturity and have a lot to learn from each other. In fact, in the last 400 years or so since Galileo, modern “science”(consisting mainly by nonhuman systems) has progressed rapidly because of three factors: Scientists pick the simple systems to study; they make a lot of simplifications; they use external detectors and information processors (computers). Partly due to the great successes of these studies, M. Burguete these days, the word “science” is inexplicitly identified with the “science of simple systems”, while the “science of complex systems” to which all hu- man-dependent knowledge belongs is often neglected. However, in the field of human-related disciplines, it is only recently, with the advent of modern science and experiences gathered in the study of statistical physics, complex systems and other disciplines, that we know how these disciplines can be studied scientifically. Science Matters (SciMat) is the new discipline that treats all human-related matters as part of science. SciMat is about all human-dependent knowledge, wherein, humans (the ma- terial system of Homo sapiens are studied scientifically from the perspective of complex systems using unifying principles that can be found in different paradigms such as fractals and chaos. SciMat’s definition of science: Science is human’s pursuit of knowledge about all things in Nature, which include all (human and nonhuman) systems, without bringing in God or any super- natural. There seems to be a consensus on the fact that sciences and humanities are indispensable in generating knowledge about the dynamic changes that transform our societies. They form the basis of the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges Pillar and their integration with other sciences will broaden our understanding of innovation, driven not only by technological advances, INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION:dEVELOPMENT AND iMPlEMENTATION ENGINEERING EDUCATION 14’2014 but also by societal expectations, values and demands. Now, according to the SciMat Project the aim of SciMat is to bridge this gap by unifying all the fields producing a new landscape of knowledge: the “Knowscape”, which involves a human-dependent part (human matters and artificial systems) plus a human-independent part. SciMat includes: Humanities, Social Scienc- es, Natural Science and Medical Sciences, all-in-one discipline called SciMat since 2008 according to the principle: “Science is to understand Nature”, humans included because everything is made up of atoms. Science Matters (SciMat) is an attitude (or concept), like the case in any new discipline when it first emerges. The attitude of SciMat is just one sentence: “Science is to understand Nature”. To make this possible knowledge must struggle for a unified perspective. Key words: natural sciences, Humanities, interdisciplinarity, Knowledge, science Matters. INTRODUCTION measuring instruments and comput- all earnest and honest human ers. Yet, all these activities could be quests for knowledge are efforts to viewed in a unified perspective: they 21 understand nature, which includes are scientific developments at vary- both human and nonhuman systems, ing stages of maturity and have a lot the objects of study in science. thus, to learn from each other. in fact, in broadly speaking, all these quests are the last 400 years or so since galileo, in the science domain. the methods modern “science” (fig. 1) (consisting and tools may be different; for exam- mainly by nonhuman systems) has ple, the literary people use mainly progressed rapidly because of three their bodily sensors and their brain factors: scientists pick the simple as the information processor, while systems to study; they make a lot natural scientists may use, in addition, of simplifications; they use external Fig. 1. A brief history of science in the last 2600 years since Thales. The left (right) column cor- responds to simple (complex) systems; the column width represents roughly how much the develop- ment activity was during different time periods. tholes (c. 624 -c. 546 Bc) aristotle (84 -22 Bc) islam dark age renaissance galileo (1619) 172-1790 Enlightenment 174-1794 newton (1687) Adam Smith (Economics, 1776; 1798-1857 the Wealth of nations) Condorset (Progress of the Human Mind ,1795) 1809 -1882 Auguste Comte (sociology, 1844) Charles Darwin (on the origin of species 1859) science Matters (2008) INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION:dEVELOPMENT AND iMPlEMENTATION ENGINEERING EDUCATION 14’2014 detectors and information proces- is to understand nature”, humans sors (computers). Partly due to the included because everything is made great successes of these studies, these up of atoms. science Matters (sciMat) days, the word “science” is inexplic- is an attitude (or concept), like the itly identified with the “science of case in any new discipline when it simple systems”, while the “science first emerges. of complex systems” to which all in the field of human-related human-dependent knowledge belongs disciplines, it is only recently, with is often neglected. the advent of modern science and “science” with the so-called experiences gathered in the study of scientific method dated only from statistical physics, complex systems 1867 and emerged as a separated and other disciplines, that we know field of knowledge from humani- how these disciplines can be stud- ties. therefore, the aim of sciMat is ied scientifically. to bridge the gap, to bridge this gap by unifying all the science Matters (sciMat) is the new fields producing a new landscape of discipline that treats all human-related knowledge: the “Knowscape” (fig. 2), matters as part of science. science which involves a human-dependent Matters links up humanities and “sci- 22 part (involves the study of humanities, ence” completely while active walk, social sciences and medical sciences fractal and chaos, respectively, does mainly neurosciences and genet- that partially. Humanities and “sci- ics) plus a human-independent part ence” share the same root, growing (involves the study of non-human bio- up like two branches of the same logic and inanimate systems – usually plant (fig. ). called as “natural sciences”). sciMat sciMat is about all human- includes: Humanities, social sci- dependent knowledge, wherein, ences and natural science all-in-one humans (the material system of Homo discipline called sciMat since 2008 sapiens are studied scientifically from according to the principle: “science the perspective of complex systems Fig. 2. Knowscape. the Knowscape: landscape of Knowledge ? Human independent part darwin’s evolution theory Quantum mechanics Economics Mechanical newtonian mechanics laws artificial systems sociology Human dependent part (human matters) Human dependent part (artificial systems) INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION:dEVELOPMENT AND iMPlEMENTATION ENGINEERING EDUCATION 14’2014 Fig. 3. “science” sciMat humanities active walk fractal chaos using unifying principles that can be reaction induced filaments and retinal found in different paradigms such as neurons, formation of fractal surfaces fractals, chaos and “active walk”. a and human history [lam, 2002; 2006; fractal is a self-similar object, possess- 2008]. all three principles are now ing quite often a fractional dimen- an integral part of complex-system sion; fractals are everywhere, ranging science, which is becoming important 2 from the morphology of three leaves, in the understanding of business, gov- rock formations and human blood ernments and the media, among other vessels to the stock market indices things. in any scientific study there and the structure of galaxies [War- are three approaches or levels: empiri- necken, 199; Barrow, 1995; lam, cal, phenomenological and bottom- 2004]. chaos is the phenomenon up - that one can adopt to go further observed in some nonlinear systems [lam, 2002]. these three approaches and as examples there are, human in the cases of physics and arts are heartbeats and planetary motion in sketched in fig. 4. Empirical studies the solar system. the concept is also always happen first. Phenomenologi- found applicable in psychology, life cal studies are done without knowing sciences and literature [robertson & the mechanism underlying a phe- combs, 1995]. a review of chaos for nomenon; they are very powerful and general readers is available [Yorke & sometimes undervalued. fundamen- grebogi, 1996]. active Walk (aW) is tal understanding of a phenomenon a major principle that nature uses in is reached through the bottom-up self-organization; it is a generic origin studies in which the mechanism will of complexity in the real world [Zhou reveal itself and become understood. et al., 2008]. active Walk is a para-
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