Science, Technology and Philosophy of Science - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures, theories, and ethical concepts from the lecture notes on science, technology, and the philosophy of science.

Science

A systematic, ongoing study of the natural world to understand physical knowledge, laws, and theories.

Technology

The application of scientific concepts to create artefacts and products that improve lifestyles, though it can also create dangerous artefacts.

Interdependence of Science and Technology

Science and technology are interconnected; technological products are based on scientific concepts and science informs technological development.

Copernicus

Proposed the heliocentric model, placing the Sun at the center of the solar system.

Johannes Kepler

Formulated the Laws of Planetary Motion, including elliptical orbits and equal areas in equal times.

Isaac Newton

Established Laws of Motion and the Law of Gravitation; foundational for classical mechanics.

Galileo Galilei

Father of the Scientific Revolution; advanced telescope astronomy and supported heliocentrism, facing Inquisition.

Charles Darwin

Proposed the Theory of Evolution by natural selection.

Albert Einstein

Developed the Theory of Relativity (special and general) explaining spacetime and gravitation.

Watson and Crick

Discovered the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule.

Heliocentric model

Sun-centered solar system model.

Geocentric model

Earth-centered universe model.

Ptolemaic epicycles

Geocentric model's use of epicycles and the equant to explain planetary motion.

Copernican Revolution

Shift from geocentric to heliocentric worldview, laying the groundwork for modern astronomy.

Planck mission

ESA mission (launched 2009) mapping the cosmic microwave background to study the early universe.

Max Planck

Physicist who founded quantum theory; Planck constant key to quantum physics.

Big Bang

Origin of the universe from a hot, dense state; expansion beginning ~12.82 billion years ago.

Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

CERN facility to recreate conditions of the early universe and study fundamental particles.

Inflation (cosmology)

A period of extremely rapid expansion just after the Big Bang, proposed by Alan Guth.

Hubble Space Telescope

Space-based observatory that expanded knowledge of galaxies and cosmic expansion.

Dark Energy

Unknown energy driving the accelerated expansion of the universe; makes up most of the cosmos.

Quasars

Extremely luminous active galactic nuclei used as markers of early cosmic structures.

Aristotle (geocentric universe)

Ancient view of a spherical Earth with celestial spheres and ether; perfect circles.

Ptolemy (geocentric model)

Astronomer who formalized the geocentric model with epicycles in Almagest.

Tycho Brahe

Danish astronomer with a hybrid model positing Earth at the center and planetary orbits around the Sun.

Giordano Bruno

Proposed stars like suns and an infinite universe; executed for heresy.

Galileo’s Dialogue

Work comparing world systems that challenged the geocentric view and offended the Church.

Dalton (Modern Atomic Theory)

Matter is composed of atoms; atoms of an element are identical; atoms form compounds and rearrange in reactions.

Avogadro

Concept that equal volumes of gases contain the same number of molecules; aided atomic theory.

Quantum theory

Particles and waves are described by quantum mechanics; behavior depends on measurement.

Vienna Circle

Group promoting Logical Positivism and verifiability in science.

Verifiability

Criterion that a statement is meaningful only if it can be tested by observation.

Positivism

Philosophy that only positive, sensory-derived facts are meaningful; rejects metaphysics.

Auguste Comte

Founder of positivism; asserted unity of science and a progression of knowledge.

Unity of science

Idea that the same scientific method applies across all sciences; interconnected knowledge.

Inductive reasoning

Reasoning from particular observations to general conclusions; strength depends on evidence.

Deductive reasoning

Reasoning from general premises to a specific conclusion; validity and soundness matter.

Falsifiability

The core criterion of Popper: a theory must be testable and potentially disprovable.

Popper (hypothetico-deductive method)

Science progresses by proposing hypotheses and attempting to falsify them through testing.

Ad hoc hypothesis

Auxiliary assumption added to save a theory from refutation; can undermine falsification.

Triangulation / Methodological pluralism

Using multiple methods to strengthen research findings and reduce biases.

Pseudo-science

Claims that imitate science but lack falsifiability or rigorous testing; demarcation issue.

Demarcation problem

The challenge of distinguishing science from non-science.

Dignitas Personae (Church document)

Catholic Church document on bioethics; condemns IVF, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and morning-after pill; upholds life’s sacredness.

In vitro fertilisation (IVF)

Assisted reproduction outside the body; may involve surrogacy, donors, and embryo storage.

Embryo destruction in stem cell research

Ethical issue of using embryos for stem cell research; often rejected by church positions.

Informed consent

Providing patients with sufficient information to choose freely about medical treatment.

Data protection in medicine

Rights to refuse or control the use of one’s medical data or samples for research.

Biobanks and genetic testing

Storage of biological samples for research; raises consent, privacy, and familial implications.

End-of-life care ethics

Questions about prolonging life with technology and the right to terminate life in certain cases.

Post-mortem data rights

Debates about whether a deceased person’s data or organs remain protected.

Cryopreservation

Freezing of biological material for future use; ethical and legal questions on consent.

Informed consent (bioethics focus)

Ethical requirement that patients understand and agree to medical procedures or research.

First stars and early cosmic evolution

Formation of the first luminous bodies driven by gravity and dark matter after the Big Bang.

Dark energy mystery

Unresolved cause of the universe’s accelerated expansion and its varying density effects.

Treatments of the universe’s expansion (cosmology)

Study of how the universe expands and evolves, including observations from Planck, Hubble, and LHC-era physics.