The Process of Science: and Its Interaction with Non-Scientific Ideas
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The Social Sciences—How Scientific Are They?
31 The Social Sciences—How Scientifi c Are They? Manas Sarma or Madame Curie. That is, he social sciences are a very important and amazing in their own way. fi eld of study. A division of science, social sciences Tembrace a wide variety of topics from anthropology A better example of a social to sociology. The social sciences cover a wide range of science than law may be topics that are crucial for understanding human experience/ economics. economics behavior in groups or as individuals. is, in a word, fi nances. Economics is the study By defi nition, social science is the branch of science that deals of how money changes, the rate at which it changes, and with the human facets of the natural world (the other two how it potentially could change and the rate at which it branches of science are natural science and formal science). would. Even though economics does not deal with science Some social sciences are law, economics, and psychology, to directly, it is defi nitely equally scientifi c. About 50-60% of name a few. The social sciences have existed since the time colleges require calculus to study business or economics. of the ancient Greeks, and have evolved ever since. Over Calculus is also required in some science fi elds, like physics time, social sciences have grown and gained a big following. or chemistry. Since economics and science both require Some colleges, like Yale University, have chosen to focus calculus, economics is still a science. more on the social sciences than other subjects. The social sciences are more based on qualitative data and not as Perhaps the most scientifi c of the social sciences is black-and-white as the other sciences, so even though they psychology. -
The Big Bang: New Light on an Old Theory
Physics The Big Bang: New light on an old theory This lesson explores the evidence for the Big Bang theory of the origin of the Universe. In it, you will learn about the following: • Using the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) to define radiation. • The Big Bang origin of the Universe theory. • What is the cosmic microwave background and how does this support the Big Bang theory? • Universe or Multiverse? Get ready for extragalactic time travel as we squeeze and bend our way through this space-time lesson. This is a print version of an interactive online lesson. To sign up for the real thing or for curriculum details about the lesson go to www.cosmosforschools.com Introduction: The Big Bang (P1) Scientists say they have just made a discovery that will help explain how our Universe began. If they are right, it could be the biggest, most exciting event in physics ever. Looking through a telescope into the clear skies over the South Pole, scientists spotted what they say is evidence of gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time, from the split second after the birth of the Universe – what scientists call the Big Bang. What’s got everyone so excited by this is that Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves when he described how space and time were related and could be bent by huge forces of gravity. What the scientists at the South Pole think they saw was not gravitational waves – they would be invisible – but the effect of the waves on the light left over from the Big Bang. -
Outline of Science
Outline of science The following outline is provided as a topical overview of • Empirical method – science: • Experimental method – The steps involved in order Science – systematic effort of acquiring knowledge— to produce a reliable and logical conclusion include: through observation and experimentation coupled with logic and reasoning to find out what can be proved or 1. Asking a question about a natural phenomenon not proved—and the knowledge thus acquired. The word 2. Making observations of the phenomenon “science” comes from the Latin word “scientia” mean- 3. Forming a hypothesis – proposed explanation ing knowledge. A practitioner of science is called a for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a "scientist". Modern science respects objective logical rea- scientific hypothesis, the scientific method re- soning, and follows a set of core procedures or rules in or- quires that one can test it. Scientists generally der to determine the nature and underlying natural laws of base scientific hypotheses on previous obser- the universe and everything in it. Some scientists do not vations that cannot satisfactorily be explained know of the rules themselves, but follow them through with the available scientific theories. research policies. These procedures are known as the 4. Predicting a logical consequence of the hy- scientific method. pothesis 5. Testing the hypothesis through an experiment – methodical procedure carried out with the 1 Essence of science goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. The 3 types of -
Intelligent Design: Is It Really Worth It?
Leaven Volume 17 Issue 2 Theology and Science Article 6 1-1-2009 Intelligent Design: Is It Really Worth It? Chris Doran [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Doran, Chris (2009) "Intelligent Design: Is It Really Worth It?," Leaven: Vol. 17 : Iss. 2 , Article 6. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol17/iss2/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leaven by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Doran: Intelligent Design: Is It Really Worth It? Intelligent Design: Is It Really Worth It? CHRIS DORAN imaginethatwe have all had occasion to look up into the sky on a clear night, gaze at the countless stars, and think about how small we are in comparison to the enormity of the universe. For everyone except Ithe most strident atheist (although I suspect that even s/he has at one point considered the same feeling), staring into space can be a stark reminder that the universe is much grander than we could ever imagine, which may cause us to contemplate who or what might have put this universe together. For believers, looking up at tJotestars often puts us into the same spirit of worship that must have filled the psalmist when he wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalms 19.1). -
A Very Useful Guide to Understanding STEM
A Very Useful Guide to Understanding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) By Delphine Ryan Version 2.0 Enquiries: [email protected] 1 © 2018 Delphine Ryan – A very useful guide to understanding STEM INTRODUCTION Imagine a tree with many branches representing human knowledge. We could say that this knowledge may be split into two large branches, with one branch being science and the other being the humanities. From these two large branches, lots of smaller branches have grown, and each represent a specific subject, but are still connected to the larger branches in some way. What do we mean by the humanities? The humanities refers to the learning concerned with human culture, such as literature, languages, history, art, music, geography and so on, as opposed to science. A science is an organised collection of facts about something which have been found by individuals and groups of individuals looking into such things as how birds fly, or why different substances react with each other, or what causes the seasons of the year (different temperatures, amount of daylight, etc.). More on this will be discussed in this booklet. In the following section, I aim to give you a balanced explanation of what we call the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in order to help you decide which career path would be best for you: a career in the sciences or in the humanities. I will also talk about art and its relationship to STEM subjects. And finally, I aim to give you a balanced view of the relationship between the sciences and the humanities, and to demonstrate to you, in the final section, how these two large branches of human knowledge work together, always. -
How the Universe Works an Attempt at Dealing with the Big Questions of Science and Philosophy in Light of 21’St Century Knowledge
How the Universe Works An attempt at dealing with the big questions of science and philosophy in light of 21’st century knowledge. By Theodore A. Holden Copyright © 2015 Theodore A. Holden. All rights reserved. Other than as permitted under the Fair Use section of the United States copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication shall be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the authors. Quoting of this work must be attributed to this book, and not in a manner which would indicate any sort of endorsement. No derivative works are permitted without express permission of the author. Reproduction of artwork contained in this book must be properly attributed to this book. Information, discussion, related links at: http://www.cosmosincollision.com/. ISBN # 978-0-9891787-3-0 Version 5/2/15 Contents Forward: Part I, Ancient Realities and Some Background Chapter 1. Gravity in prehistoric times. Animal and Human Sizes of Past Ages The Weightlifter and the Witch How Much Attenuation of Gravity was Needed to Account for Dinosaur Sizes? Sauropod Necks and the Problem of Torque Ancient Flying Creatures Ancient Humans and their Sizes Antediluvian Lifespans Chapter 2. The Fermi Paradox and the Realities of Interstellar Distances Chapter 3. Telepathy and Pre-Flood Language The Evidence for Telepathy in Today’s World Telepathy in the Ancient World Talking to the Animals… Chapter 4. The Mars Images Cities and villages Walls and fitted stones Mechanical junk and debris (A few samples) Gateways to Subterranean areas. -
Beyond the Scientific Method
ISSUES AND TRENDS Jeffrey W. Bloom and Deborah Trumbull, Section Coeditors Beyond the Scientific Method: Model-Based Inquiry as a New Paradigm of Preference for School Science Investigations MARK WINDSCHITL, JESSICA THOMPSON, MELISSA BRAATEN Curriculum and Instruction, University of Washington, 115 Miller Hall, Box 353600, Seattle, WA 98195, USA Received 19 July 2007; revised 21 November 2007; accepted 29 November 2007 DOI 10.1002/sce.20259 Published online 4 January 2008 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). ABSTRACT: One hundred years after its conception, the scientific method continues to reinforce a kind of cultural lore about what it means to participate in inquiry. As commonly implemented in venues ranging from middle school classrooms to undergraduate laboratories, it emphasizes the testing of predictions rather than ideas, focuses learners on material activity at the expense of deep subject matter understanding, and lacks epistemic framing relevant to the discipline. While critiques of the scientific method are not new, its cumulative effects on learners’ conceptions of science have not been clearly articulated. We discuss these effects using findings from a series of five studies with degree-holding graduates of our educational system who were preparing to enter the teaching profession and apprentice their own young learners into unproblematic images of how science is done. We then offer an alternative vision for investigative science—model-based inquiry (MBI)— as a system of activity and discourse that engages learners more deeply with content and embodies five epistemic characteristics of scientific knowledge: that ideas represented in the form of models are testable, revisable, explanatory, conjectural, and generative. -
Introduction to the History of Science
Intro duc tion to the His to ry of Scien ce . Vol. I, from Homer to Omar Khayyam. By George Sarton, Associate in the History of Science, Carnegie Institution, Washington, D. C. Pub- lished for the Carnegie Institution. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins Company, 1927. In the introductory chapter to this truly magnificent volume Dr. Sarton, the author, who has already done so much for the history of science by his able editorship of Isis, states that his purpose is to explain briefly, yet as com- pletely as possible, “the development of science, that is of systematized positive knowledge.” He is careful to state that his work will contain but few references to political or economic history, nor to the history of art, not because of any lack of appreciation of their great importance but because there already exist many excellent books dealing with them. On the other hand he does devote much space to the history of religion because we cannot understand the intellectual background of a people without a study of its religious problems and ideas. This is obvious to the most superficial observer if he considers the way in which medieval thought was completely dominated by theological conceptions; “Theol- ogy was at once the core of science and the prop of religion.” Although music is now more generally con- sidered as an art than a science yet Sarton finds it is necessary to incorporate some material concerning its history, recalling that it was one of the main divisions of the quadrivium which dominated medieval education. Much impor- tance is also due to the early history of philology. -
Ecology: Definition, Scope and Relationship with Other Sciences
Ecology: Definition, Scope and Relationship with other sciences By Shalinder Kaur Department of Botany P.G.G.C.G. – 11 Chandigarh The word "ecology" ("oekologie") (coined by German scientist Ernst Haeckel,1866) was derived from the Greek ―oikos” meaning "household" and logos meaning "science:" the "study of the household of nature." Ecology is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, or environmental science. Ecology is closely related to physiology, evolutionary biology, genetics and ethology. An understanding of how biodiversity affects ecological function is an important focus area in ecological studies. Ecology: branch of science that deals with interaction between living organisms with each other and their surroundings. Ecological systems are studied at several different levels from individuals and populations to ecosystems and biosphere level. Ecology is a multi-disciplinary science, drawing on many other branches of science. Applied ecology is the practice of employing ecological principles and understanding to solve real world problems. E.g. calculating fish population, measuring environmental impact from construction or logging, building a case for the conservation of a species, and determining the most effective way to protect a species. In a broader sense, ecology can also mean: Natural environment: using the principles and methods of ecology. Human Ecology: looks at humans and their interactions with the natural environment. Scope of Ecology Ecology can be studied at several levels, from proteins and nucleic acids (in biochemistry and molecular biology), cells (in cellular biology), organisms (in botany, zoology, and other similar disciplines), and finally at the level of populations, communities, and ecosystems — which are the subjects of ecology. Because of its focus on the broadest level of life and on the interrelations between living beings and their environment, ecology draws heavily on other branches of science, such as geology and geography, meteorology, pedology, chemistry, and physics. -
Saturday in the Park One for the Ladies?
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2011 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here SATURDAY IN THE PARK ONE FOR THE LADIES? Yesterday=s card at Belmont Park was dubbed as With Sarafina (Fr) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), Galikova ASuper Saturday,@ and it sure lived up to the billing (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) and despite wet conditions. Last Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) in the line-up, today=s year=s champion juvenile renewal of the G1 Qatar Prix de l=Arc de Triomphe could Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) be all about the females. Few have managed to overhaul proved to be one of the the colts in this feature, but the strengthening and brightest stars on the day, upgrading of Europe=s distaff program may be bringing a getting back on track against return to the era of Allez France, Ivanjica, Three Troikas older horses with a sharp (Fr), Detroit (Fr), Gold River (Fr), Akiyda (GB) and All three-length win over Along (Fr), who all triumphed here from 1974-1983. Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil) Sarafina represents the powerful axis of His Highness in the GII Kelso H. The The Aga Khan and Alain de Royer-Dupre, who Uncle Mo Repole Stable colorbearer has masterminded the success of the best filly in Adam Coglianese his sights set on the generations Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) here in 2008, and GI Breeders= Cup Classic some may suggest she is unlucky not to have already next. Fox Hill Farm=s Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) captured Europe=s feature. Hampered before rallying into apparently has plenty left in the tank after defeating the third behind Workforce (GB) (King=s Best) 12 months boys in the GI Woodward S. -
What's So Bad About Scientism? Moti Mizrahi Florida Institute Of
What’s so bad about Scientism? Moti Mizrahi Florida Institute of Technology Abstract: In their attempt to defend philosophy from accusations of uselessness made by prominent scientists, such as Stephen Hawking, some philosophers respond with the charge of “scientism.” This charge makes endorsing a scientistic stance a mistake by definition. For this reason, it begs the question against these critics of philosophy, or anyone who is inclined to endorse a scientistic stance, and turns the scientism debate into a verbal dispute. In this paper, I propose a different definition of scientism, and thus a new way of looking at the scientism debate. Those philosophers who seek to defend philosophy against accusations of uselessness would do philosophy a much better service, I submit, if they were to engage with the definition of scientism put forth in this paper, rather than simply make it analytic that scientism is a mistake. Keywords: inference to the best explanation; epistemological scientism; scientistic stance; success of science 1. Introduction In their attempt to defend philosophy from accusations of uselessness made by prominent scientists, such as Hawking and Mlodinow (2010, p. 5), who write that “philosophy is dead,”1 some philosophers accuse these scientists of “scientism.” According to Pigliucci (2010, p. 235), the term ‘scientism’ “is in fact only used as an insult.” By “scientism,” Pigliucci (2010, p. 235) means, “the intellectual arrogance of some scientists who think that, given enough time and especially financial resources, science will be able to answer whatever meaningful questions we may wish to pose—from a cure for cancer to the elusive equation that will tell us how the laws of nature themselves came about” (emphasis added).2 And Sorell (2013, p. -
Branches of Science Biology
Branches of Science Biology • The study of life. • Biology is concerned with the characteristics, classification, and behaviors of organisms, how species come into existence, and the interactions they have with each other and with the natural environment. Paleontology • Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of the history and development of life on Earth, including that of ancient plants and animals, based on the fossil record. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks, burrows, cast-off parts, fossilized feces and chemical residues. Paleontology Ecology • Ecology, is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how the distribution and abundance are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment. The environment of an organism includes physical properties like sunlight, climate, and geology, as well as the other organisms that share its habitat. Ecology: The study of the household of nature Entomology • Entomology is the scientific study of insects. Insects have many kinds of interactions with humans and other forms of life on earth, so it is an important specialty within biology. Entomology Mammalogy • The study of mammals Zoology • Zoology is the biological discipline which involves the study of non-human animals. Botany • Botany is the scientific study of plantlife. Botany covers a wide range of scientific disciplines that study the structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, development and diseases of plants. The study of plants and botany began with tribal lore, used to identify edible, medicinal and poisonous plants, making botany one of the oldest sciences. Botany Ichthyology • Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish.