nature of science

Science

• Utilizes what humanity needs to survive: Humans are inherently CURIOUS

• Fundamental definition: Science is simply organized curiosity

• It's the nature of science to be organized but also the nature to be curious

• Scientific method: example of how science is organized

Heraclitus

“Nature loves to hide”

• Science unveils the secrets of nature

• Science is a “rediscovery” smth that already exists

  • Innovation is human creation; things we rediscover are from nature inherently

• Deals with a physical world where nature exists

• Physical world is experienced EMPIRICALLY

Logic

• Aristotle: first “Natural philosopher”

  • Said that within logic u must have “Philosophia - love of wisdom” “Episteme - knowledge” “Theoria - contemplation, speculation”

• A way of reason that utilizes reason -> leads to knowledge -> belief or research

• Logic is the process of assessing info -> nature -> BELIEF VS RESEARCH

Belief

experiential, personal, cannot be disproved, INFALLIBLE FACT, its what u believe, who can even test ur belief

Research

methodical, universal, open to testing, “CIRCUMSTANTIAL FACT, fact based on many diff evidence pieced tog to try to explain a phenomenon”

The Birth of a Hypothesis

• U take diff facts -> u try to explain why that happens -> hypothesis -> time and testing -> Theory

• No amt of data will prove a hypothesis to be true, they only FAIL to disprove it 

  • We shud not assume we know everything, if u try to prove ur hypothesis ur subject to confirmation bias. U will come across info that is biased towards what u want the outcome to be. If ur method is DISPROVING ur hypothesis so u go thru methodology that tests the robustness of it.

The Death of a Hypothesis

• Old Theory -> Subjected to critical anomalies -> paradigm shift -> New theory

Critical Anomalies

1. Contradictory data

2. Prediction failure - bc of new tech, old theory no longer predicts what happens

3. Inadequate or non-encompassing

4. A simpler, more elegant model exists* depends on phenomenon

• Disruption of recognized thinking brings new ideas that encompass old and new data, bringing a paradigm shift

Hypothesis

• Proposed explanation 

• Goes through time and testing to be a scientific theory

Scientific Theory

• Tries to explain a phenomenon

• Established framework from a hypothesis which is a proposal for explaining a phenomenon

• Why those patterns happen

Scientific Law

• Not the upgraded scientific theory

• Something that tries to predict what will happen

• Predicting what output w be given the patterns we observe

Scientific Method

it can start ANYWHERE

1. Observation

2. Hypothesize

3. Develop test

4. Explain findings

5. Interpret data

6. Gather data

Science is a

process, perspective, endeavor, institution (PPEI)

Pillars of Scientific Orthodoxy (RPELLUW)

1. Realism

2. Presuppositions

3. Evidence

4. Logic

5. Limits

6. Universality

7. Worldview

Some Characteristics of Science

• Deals w phenomena, makes assumptions to further comprehension

• Despite its reach and breadth it has limits

• Taking risks and serendipity

• Not statis; it is contingent more than absolute, helps w self correction

• Inclusive, collaborative social exercise