Science What it is

Why it‟s important to know about it

Elements of the scientific method

DEFINITIONS OF SCIENCE:Attempts at a one-sentence description

Science is the search for the perfect means of attaining any end

The whole of science is after all nothing but a refinement of everyday thinking.

Science is organized knowledge

Science is a method for the description, creation and understanding of human experience

Science is distinguished by testing ideas with measurements – the “scientific method”

The character of science

Science is a social enterprise

o “I am among those who think that science has a

great beauty. We should not allow it to be

believed that all scientific progress can be

reduced to mechanisms, machines, gearings,

even though such machinery also has its own

beauty.”

Marie Curie

Ignorance of science American high school students

perform worse than 21 other

countries

Spending on research declines

Fewer scientists are produced

50 % of the population dismiss

evolutionary biology (Live from

Moody, dinosaurs were on the

Ark!)

Rush Limbaugh is an

“authority” on climate change

Fear of science and embracing

“magic”

Scientific developments under siege

o Useful applications of nuclear power

Eliminating E-Coli from vegetables with radiation

Replacement for fossil fuels

o Stem cell research

Combating genetic diseases

o Genetic engineering of crops

Defeating food shortages

The book “Natural Cures „They‟ Don‟t Want You to Know About” was a top ten seller for more than a year

Attitudes of the scientist

Curiosity

Open mind

Interest in knowledge

Courage of convictions

Capability of abandoning beliefs in the light of

new knowledge

Skeptical

Critical

Tools of the trade

Ways of dealing with information and thinking scientifically:

Laws and Theories HYPOTHESIS: an educated guess derived

from various assumptions which can be tested using a range of methods; a proposition put forward for proof or discussion

LAW A rule which describes specified natural

phenomena within the limits of experimental observation (LDST)

Broadly applicable generalization that summarizes some aspect of the natural world (Tro)

Ohm‟s Law, Gravity, Boyle‟s Law…

Scientific laws are precise, can be reduced to mathematical expressions

Laws have limited regions of application - don't always work in all situations

Laws do not provide understanding of why things happen

Laws cannot be extrapolated

THEORY Confirmed explanation of phenomena; a

hypothesis tested and confirmed with facts

(scientific evidence) not previously known

(CCTD)

A scheme or system of ideas or statements held as

an explanation or account of a group of facts or

phenomena; a hypothesis that has been confirmed

or established by observation or experiment, and is

accepted as accounting for the known facts (OED)

A model that describes the underlying cause of

physical behavior. (Tro)

It’s only a theory Is a theory ever fact - true?

o Facts are observations while theories are explanations

o Difficult to say theory is “correct” even after predictions proved

o It is acceptable to say theory works well

o However, new results may falsify the theory

Theory of relativity demonstrated limitations in Newtonian mechanics.

Now relativity is being challenged by new results.

o Theories are modified to explain new observations

Theories have predictive power

o Prediction of existence of subatomic particles from quantum theory

Theories provide understanding of why things happen

Law and Theory contrasted using

gases

Boyle‟s Law (17th century)

o Experimental observation of relationship between pressure and volume of a gas

Kinetic theory of gases (19th

century)

o Mathematical derivation of observed gas law using postulate that a gas consists of molecules which can be treated like small hard spheres in random motion. The behaviour of the gas is predicted using known mechanics of spheres

P vs V

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 100 200 300

Volume (L)

Pre

ssu

re (

atm

)

Scientific “method”more than one way to skin a cat

Observation vs imagination

Imagination plays an increasingly important role in science.

Inductive approach relies wholly on observation to develop a theory (“And God forbid we should offer the dreams of fancy for a model of the world”) Newton offered: “…hypotheses ... have no place in experimental philosophy.”

Deductive relies on imagination. More important today. Hypothesis may originate purely in the realm of the imagination, using also some known mathematical relations. Kekule‟s dream about the structure of benzene

Technology and science Technology is human activity directed toward satisfaction

of human needs by more effective use of environment

Technology is obtaining a better living from resources -making gadgets and tools

Technology is not a contemplative activity, except where it is used in the design of new things; the pondering is directed towards a specific practical goal, not contemplation for its own sake

Technology also gives rise to science as its tools and things are invented

Technology is older than science: early man made a club to get food, not because it seemed like an interesting thing to do

RELATIONS BETWEEN

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The relationship between science and technology in history has not

always been clear, and it has not been easy to say which influenced which.

STEAM ENGINE DEVELOPMENT:

Science had nothing to do with the invention of the steam engine

Science benefited from its invention

Perfecting the steam engine was not made by engineers/technologists but by a basic scientist (Carnot). His work on heat flow led to thermodynamics.

Thus: technology developed a steam engine, which lead to scientific thought and discovery of new scientific relationships -thermodynamics.

Basic Research and Technology

Faraday was a scientist who demonstrated that magnetism generated electricity. This led to development of electrical supply industry in which Faraday had no significant part. Edison exploited electromagnetism in development of new technology

Basic research produces new knowledge that results in new technology in unpredictable ways over long time periods: magnetic domains from the study of magnetism for example, which resulted in new magnetic materials.

TENSION BETWEEN BENEFITS

AND COSTS – Risks and rewards

Technology has meant a vast increase in the

production and consumption of energy

Technology has enabled massive growth in

population – greater competition for resources

Technology has brought enormous benefits – and

problems

Solutions to problems depend on greater

investment in science, not turning the clock back