Classroom notes for: Radiation and Life Professor: Thomas M. Regan Pinanski 206 ext 3283

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Classroom notes for: Radiation and Life Professor: Thomas M. Regan Pinanski 206 ext 3283"

Transcription

1 Classroom notes for: Radiation and Life Professor: Thomas M. Regan Pinanski 206 ext 3283

2 Critical Thinking Science is more than just a collection of facts- it s a way of thinking about the world around us. In particular science requires critical thinking. You apply critical thinking every day. For instance, consider the claims of TV commercials. Does one detergent makes clothes whiter than another (Tide vs. Whisk)? You will try both brands to verify the claim. When planning a trip to Cape Cod, you receive advice as to the shortest route (495 straight to the Cape vs. 3 S to 128 S back to 3 S to the Cape). You will try both routes to determine which is the quickest journey, or will consult on-line travel planners.

3 The Scientific Method The Scientific Method formalizes the process of critical thinking. The Greek philosopher Leucippus (5 th century B.C.) was the first to state categorically that every event has a natural cause. This rules out all (indiscriminate and/or continuous) intervention by the supernatural and represents the scientific view held today. (Asimov s Chronology of Science and Discovery, Asimov, p. 47) Francis Bacon ( ) was a pioneer of the Scientific Method. Francis Bacon, 1st Baron Verulam and Viscount Saint Albans, English philosopher and statesman; was one of the pioneers of modern scientific thought.( Bacon's Novum Organum (1620) successfully influenced the acceptance of accurate observation and experimentation in science. In it he maintained that all prejudices and preconceived attitudes, which he called idols, must be abandoned. ( Bacon argued strenuously that deduction might do for mathematics but it would not do for science. The laws of science had to be induced; that is, established as generalizations drawn out of a vast mass of specific observation. (Asimov s Chronology of Science and Discovery, Asimov, p. 153)

4 The Scientific Method cont. Is this the only way of viewing the world? Some claim that the Scientific Method is a Western Philosophy, and is simply one world-view among many. As a philosophy it is subject to the cultural bias of Westerners, making it no more or less valid than any other philosophies. One good defense of science is that is it works. You can explain a falling apple many ways, but only the theory of gravity predicts the path of the earthbound apple and allows us to put men on the moon using the same mathematical formula. The Scientific Method does have its limitations, particularly when considering: 1) issues of how vs. why and 2) issues of morality ( right vs. wrong ). Whereas philosophy in general is concerned with the why as well as the how of things, science occupies itself with the latter question only, but in a scrupulously rigorous manner. ( Although scientists can provide extremely precise answers to the how of these theories, they cannot provide the answers to the why, not because their powers of observation or experimental abilities are limited, but rather because the questions are outside the realm of experimentation. (Modern Physics, p. 14) Considering the origins of the universe leaves us thinking: why? The atomic bomb was a marvelous technical achievement, but was it morally right?

5 The Scientific Method Formulate a problem. Generate an educated guess (hypothesis). Test the hypothesis by experimentation. Accept or reject the hypothesis. If the hypothesis is rejected, formulate a new hypothesis. If the hypothesis is accepted, continue to test it.

6 1. Formulate a problem. Be careful to consider only questions that science can answer. For instance, it may not be valid within the framework of the Scientific Method to consider the question: what is a good deed? While questions such as how much is a life worth? can be answered in technical terms.

7 2. Generate an Educated Guess (hypothesis). This guess may be inspired by previously collected data or by simple observations of the world (such as the moon rising and setting every night). A hypothesis is typically based on inductive reasoning; that is, drawing broad conclusions based upon specific observations or particular data. One type of inductive reasoning is known as simple enumeration, that is, drawing general conclusions from particular data. ( Applying simple enumeration to specific observations of the moon rising and setting each night would lead you to conclude that the moon rises and sets every night.

8 A hypothesis must be falsifiable (that is, testable) If you ever have a child who claims that an invisible monster lives under his/her bed- one that can t be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, or otherwise detected- then you ve experienced a hypothesis that is not falsifiable; there is no way you can disprove the child s claim, so the existence of the creature then becomes a matter of faith, rather than something that is understandable by science. This is a difficult step, as it requires an active imagination; Albert Einstein recognized the importance of imagination in science, saying: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." ( Interestingly, the ancient Greek philosophers, as well as thinkers as recent as Rene Descartes (of "I think, therefore I am" fame) and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, stopped at this point, believing that questions could be answered by thought alone. ( The ancient Greeks tested none of their hypotheses by experiment, so convinced were they that the power of reason alone could be used to discover the hidden and mysterious laws of nature and that once reason had been applied to understanding a problem, no experiments were necessary. If theory and experiment were to disagree, they would argue, then there must be something wrong with the experiment! (Modern Physics, p. 12)

9 3.Test the hypothesis by experimentation. This too, is a difficult step, as proper experiments are hard to design/complete. The experiment must have proper control and experimental groups. That is, there must be two groups, and all factors between the two must be identical except the one (and only one) to be tested. For example, if you were to design an experiment to analyze the health impact of cigarette smoking, the control group would be non-smokers, while the experimental group would be smokers. Cigarette smoking in this case would have to be the only difference between the two groups; all other factorsdiet, exercise, alcohol consumption, etc - would have to be identical (or at least accounted for statistically). If the nonsmokers had a dramatically poorer diet, for instance, and as a result were in poorer health, you might falsely conclude that smoking poses no risk, or even that it is beneficial.

10 The experiment must be reproducible. On March 23 rd, 1989, B. Stanley Pons (b. 1943) and Martin Fleischmann (b. 1927), chemists at the Univ. of Utah, announced that an experiment conducted at room temperature using platinum and palladium electrodes immersed in heavy water (deuterium oxide) had produced excess heat and other by-products that they ascribed to a fusion reaction. Attempts to replicate their experiment produced initially conflicting results, but several early announcements of experimental confirmation were later retracted. ( and (ttp://broccoli.caltech.edu/~goodstein/fusion.html) Unfortunately, when other scientists tried to duplicate the experiment, they were unable to confirm the cold fusion findings. They also reported inconsistencies in the Pons- Fleischmann data. After continuing controversy, a U.S. Department of Energy panel found a lack of convincing evidence to associate the reported anomalous heat with a nuclear process. (Asimov s Chronology of Science and Discovery, Asimov, p. 747)

11 4. Accept or reject the hypothesis. Objectivity is the key to this step. Objectivity indicates the attempt to observe things as they are, without falsifying observations to accord with some preconceived world-view. ( In other words, don t keep the data that you want to see because it suits your purposes. As of Spring 2000, there was debate in the medical community as to whether medical researchers should be allowed to invest in biotech or pharmaceutical companies for whom they are doing research. This poses a potential problem, for it might be easier for a doctor to see only data that supports his/her findings of the efficacy of a new drug that if approved, would significantly increase the value of a company s stocks.

12 Beware of mistaking causation with correlation. I understand that a medical study was once conducted that demonstrated babies born to mothers who had ultrasound tests performed while the babies were being carried in the womb are smarter than babies whose mothers did not receive these tests. Is this because the sound waves somehow alter the development of the fetus brain to make the baby smarter (causation)? Or could it simply be that the mothers having ultrasounds conducted are from better socio-economic backgrounds? Then the babies would have proper nutrition, better education, more stable surroundings, and in general better odds of growing up healthy and intelligent (correlation).

13 5. If the hypothesis is rejected, formulate a new hypothesis. This is not a bad thing; once a hypothesis is rejected, other scientists now know not to pursue that particular line of inquiry. This is helpful for the scientific community, because attention and resources can now be better directed towards other areas that promise to yield results

14 6. If the hypothesis is accepted, continue to test it. The testing never ends, as someone could uncover facts disproving the hypothesis. Even Albert Einstein recognized this and realized that someday his theories could be overturned. Scientists have been testing the validity of Einstein s Special Theory of Relativity almost since it was published in Display quote by Albert Einstein ( ): The scientific theorist is not to be envied. For Nature, or more precisely experiment, is an inexorable and not very friendly judge of his work. It never says Yes to a theory. In the most favorable cases it says Maybe, and in the great majority of cases simply No. Probably every theory will some day experience its no - most theories, soon after conception.

15 Hypothesis vs. Theory vs. Law These are three terms often used interchangeably; however, they have very different meanings. Hypothesis has been defined. Theory can be loosely defined as a hypothesis that has withstood repeated attempts to disprove it. Another definition would be: an organized body of facts or explanations.(modern Physics, p. 13) Law would be an ultimate or universal truth ; however, Einstein s quote suggests that there is no such thing as a law, because there is always the possibility that something will be uncovered to disprove it. Einstein s Special Theory of Relativity is a perfect example, because with it he demonstrated that Newton s Laws of Motion are in fact not entirely correct.

16 Operational vs. Ultimate Truth The aim of science is to model the world around us in terms of operational truths; that is, it aims to provide an explanation of what s going on that allows us to make accurate future predications based on mathematical formulae. Are these models ultimate truths? Are they explanations of what is really happening? Few scientists would be so arrogant to make such a claim. It must be remembered that the search for ultimate truths or eternal laws is not a goal of science. (Modern Physics, p. 13) Consider the (in)famous wave-particle duality of light. In certain situations light behaves like a particle, while in others it behaves like a wave, basically depending upon the experiment being performed. Which is it really? What is the ultimate truth of the issue? Does it really matter as long as we can accurately model it, allowing us to make accurate predications of its behavior and hence to design devices using light to make our world a better place? This becomes an almost philosophical question, and many great minds have pondered it.

17 Science Defined Finally then, science can be loosely defined as: an organized system for the rigorous study of the natural world. On one slip of paper, have each student write down his/her favorite musical artist (solo performer or group) and collect the data.

A Quick Review of the Scientific Method Transcript

A Quick Review of the Scientific Method Transcript Screen 1: Marketing Research is based on the Scientific Method. A quick review of the Scientific Method, therefore, is in order. Text based slide. Time Code: 0:00 A Quick Review of the Scientific Method

More information

Physics 496 Introduction to Research. Lecture 2.0: Tools for the Scientific Skeptic (Based on a talk by Lance Cooper)

Physics 496 Introduction to Research. Lecture 2.0: Tools for the Scientific Skeptic (Based on a talk by Lance Cooper) Physics 496 Introduction to Research Lecture 2.0: Tools for the Scientific Skeptic (Based on a talk by Lance Cooper) Critical Evaluation Scientific papers and research presentations, when well done, are

More information

Ch01. Knowledge. What does it mean to know something? and how can science help us know things? version 1.5

Ch01. Knowledge. What does it mean to know something? and how can science help us know things? version 1.5 Ch01 Knowledge What does it mean to know something? and how can science help us know things? version 1.5 Nick DeMello, PhD. 2007-2016 Ch01 Knowledge Knowledge Imagination Truth & Belief Justification Science

More information

Learning from Mistakes Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn

Learning from Mistakes Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn chapter 36 Learning from Mistakes Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn In 1666 a young scientist was sitting in a garden when an apple fell to the ground. This made him wonder why apples fall straight down, rather

More information

The Dilemma Of A Physics Teacher

The Dilemma Of A Physics Teacher Kowalski, L. The Dilemma Of A Physics Teacher. in Tenth International Conference on Cold Fusion. 2003. Cambridge, MA: LENR-CANR.org. This paper was presented at the 10th International Conference on Cold

More information

There are two common forms of deductively valid conditional argument: modus ponens and modus tollens.

There are two common forms of deductively valid conditional argument: modus ponens and modus tollens. INTRODUCTION TO LOGICAL THINKING Lecture 6: Two types of argument and their role in science: Deduction and induction 1. Deductive arguments Arguments that claim to provide logically conclusive grounds

More information

THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS C H A P T E R 3

THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS C H A P T E R 3 THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS C H A P T E R 3 OBJECTIVES You will be able to understand: What does learning by inquiry mean? What qualifies as Scientific Evidence? What is a Scientific Theory? What is a Scientific

More information

Lecture 9. A summary of scientific methods Realism and Anti-realism

Lecture 9. A summary of scientific methods Realism and Anti-realism Lecture 9 A summary of scientific methods Realism and Anti-realism A summary of scientific methods and attitudes What is a scientific approach? This question can be answered in a lot of different ways.

More information

APOLOGETICS The Mind s Journey to Heaven

APOLOGETICS The Mind s Journey to Heaven APOLOGETICS The Mind s Journey to Heaven 2 Questions today 1. Hasn t science proven Christianity false? 2. Can a rational person believe in Christianity? THINGS BELIEVERS SHOULD REMEMBER Matthew 5:3 blessed

More information

Karl Popper & The Philosophy of Science. What Makes a Theory Scientific?

Karl Popper & The Philosophy of Science. What Makes a Theory Scientific? Karl Popper & The Philosophy of Science What Makes a Theory Scientific? Philosophy of Science The Philosophy of Science deals with many issues, including: The relationship of scientific statements to other

More information

1 Scientific Reasoning

1 Scientific Reasoning 1 Scientific Reasoning Scientific reasoning is the foundation supporting the entire structure of logic underpinning scientific research. It is impossible to explore the entire process, in any detail, because

More information

PHIL 155: The Scientific Method, Part 1: Naïve Inductivism. January 14, 2013

PHIL 155: The Scientific Method, Part 1: Naïve Inductivism. January 14, 2013 PHIL 155: The Scientific Method, Part 1: Naïve Inductivism January 14, 2013 Outline 1 Science in Action: An Example 2 Naïve Inductivism 3 Hempel s Model of Scientific Investigation Semmelweis Investigations

More information

BIBLICAL INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE AND MATH. September 29m 2016

BIBLICAL INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE AND MATH. September 29m 2016 BIBLICAL INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE AND MATH September 29m 2016 REFLECTIONS OF GOD IN SCIENCE God s wisdom is displayed in the marvelously contrived design of the universe and its parts. God s omnipotence

More information

The Other 90% by David Franklin Farkas

The Other 90% by David Franklin Farkas The Other 90% by David Franklin Farkas Throughout history mystics in every culture have told us, in one way or another, that everything is energy. It is often said that we are caught in a world of illusion

More information

APEH Chapter 6.notebook October 19, 2015

APEH Chapter 6.notebook October 19, 2015 Chapter 6 Scientific Revolution During the 16th and 17th centuries, a few European thinkers questioned classical and medieval beliefs about nature, and developed a scientific method based on reason and

More information

APEH ch 14.notebook October 23, 2012

APEH ch 14.notebook October 23, 2012 Chapter 14 Scientific Revolution During the 16th and 17th centuries, a few European thinkers questioned classical and medieval beliefs about nature, and developed a scientific method based on reason and

More information

Let s explore a controversial topic DHMO. (aka Dihydrogen monoxide)

Let s explore a controversial topic DHMO. (aka Dihydrogen monoxide) Let s explore a controversial topic DHMO (aka Dihydrogen monoxide) DHMO.org Dihydrogen-monoxide (Transtronics site) Coalition to Ban DHMO Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide! DHMO Chemical Danger Alert - The Horror

More information

Evolution: The Darwinian Revolutions BIOEE 2070 / HIST 2870 / STS 2871

Evolution: The Darwinian Revolutions BIOEE 2070 / HIST 2870 / STS 2871 Evolution: The Darwinian Revolutions BIOEE 2070 / HIST 2870 / STS 2871 DAY & DATE: Wednesday 27 June 2012 READINGS: Darwin/Origin of Species, chapters 1-4 MacNeill/Evolution: The Darwinian Revolutions

More information

Philosophy 1100 Introduction to Ethics. Lecture 3 Survival of Death?

Philosophy 1100 Introduction to Ethics. Lecture 3 Survival of Death? Question 1 Philosophy 1100 Introduction to Ethics Lecture 3 Survival of Death? How important is it to you whether humans survive death? Do you agree or disagree with the following view? Given a choice

More information

INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE

INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE Péter Érdi Henry R. Luce Professor Center for Complex Systems Studies Kalamazoo College, Michigan and Dept. Biophysics KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics of

More information

Philosophy 5340 Epistemology Topic 4: Skepticism. Part 1: The Scope of Skepticism and Two Main Types of Skeptical Argument

Philosophy 5340 Epistemology Topic 4: Skepticism. Part 1: The Scope of Skepticism and Two Main Types of Skeptical Argument 1. The Scope of Skepticism Philosophy 5340 Epistemology Topic 4: Skepticism Part 1: The Scope of Skepticism and Two Main Types of Skeptical Argument The scope of skeptical challenges can vary in a number

More information

Biblical Faith is Not "Blind It's Supported by Good Science!

Biblical Faith is Not Blind It's Supported by Good Science! The word science is used in many ways. Many secular humanists try to redefine science as naturalism the belief that nature is all there is. As a committed Christian you have to accept that the miracles

More information

Philosophy of Science. Ross Arnold, Summer 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology

Philosophy of Science. Ross Arnold, Summer 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology Philosophy of Science Ross Arnold, Summer 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology Philosophical Theology 1 (TH5) Aug. 15 Intro to Philosophical Theology; Logic Aug. 22 Truth & Epistemology Aug. 29 Metaphysics

More information

Characteristics of Science: Understanding Scientists and their Work (adapted from the work of Prof. Michael Clough)

Characteristics of Science: Understanding Scientists and their Work (adapted from the work of Prof. Michael Clough) Characteristics of Science: Understanding Scientists and their Work (adapted from the work of Prof. Michael Clough) What is science? How does science work? What are scientists like? Most people have given

More information

Comparison between Rene Descartes and Francis Bacon s Scientific Method. Course. Date

Comparison between Rene Descartes and Francis Bacon s Scientific Method. Course. Date 1 Comparison between Rene Descartes and Francis Bacon s Scientific Method Course Date 2 Similarities and Differences between Descartes and Francis Bacon s Scientific method Introduction Science and Philosophy

More information

PHI 1700: Global Ethics

PHI 1700: Global Ethics PHI 1700: Global Ethics Session 3 February 11th, 2016 Harman, Ethics and Observation 1 (finishing up our All About Arguments discussion) A common theme linking many of the fallacies we covered is that

More information

History of attempts to publish a paper

History of attempts to publish a paper Kowalski, L. History of attempts to publish a paper. in Eleventh International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science. 2004. Marseille, France. History of attempts to publish a paper Ludwik Kowalski

More information

Unit. Science and Hypothesis. Downloaded from Downloaded from Why Hypothesis? What is a Hypothesis?

Unit. Science and Hypothesis. Downloaded from  Downloaded from  Why Hypothesis? What is a Hypothesis? Why Hypothesis? Unit 3 Science and Hypothesis All men, unlike animals, are born with a capacity "to reflect". This intellectual curiosity amongst others, takes a standard form such as "Why so-and-so is

More information

Business Research: Principles and Processes MGMT6791 Workshop 1A: The Nature of Research & Scientific Method

Business Research: Principles and Processes MGMT6791 Workshop 1A: The Nature of Research & Scientific Method Business Research: Principles and Processes MGMT6791 Workshop 1A: The Nature of Research & Scientific Method Professor Tim Mazzarol UWA Business School MGMT6791 UWA Business School DBA Program tim.mazzarol@uwa.edu.au

More information

Now you know what a hypothesis is, and you also know that daddy-long-legs are not poisonous.

Now you know what a hypothesis is, and you also know that daddy-long-legs are not poisonous. Objectives: Be able to explain the basic process of scientific inquiry. Be able to explain the power and limitations of scientific inquiry. Be able to distinguish a robust hypothesis from a weak or untestable

More information

Defining Science: The Scientific Method

Defining Science: The Scientific Method Defining Science: The Scientific Method The scientific study of life is based on one major assumption about our world Life Processes are guided by Natural Laws science is a process of uncovering knowledge

More information

Mind s Eye Idea Object

Mind s Eye Idea Object Do the ideas in our mind resemble the qualities in the objects that caused these ideas in our minds? Mind s Eye Idea Object Does this resemble this? In Locke s Terms Even if we accept that the ideas in

More information

CLASS #17: CHALLENGES TO POSITIVISM/BEHAVIORAL APPROACH

CLASS #17: CHALLENGES TO POSITIVISM/BEHAVIORAL APPROACH CLASS #17: CHALLENGES TO POSITIVISM/BEHAVIORAL APPROACH I. Challenges to Confirmation A. The Inductivist Turkey B. Discovery vs. Justification 1. Discovery 2. Justification C. Hume's Problem 1. Inductive

More information

What Is Science? Mel Conway, Ph.D.

What Is Science? Mel Conway, Ph.D. What Is Science? Mel Conway, Ph.D. Table of Contents The Top-down (Social) View 1 The Bottom-up (Individual) View 1 How the Game is Played 2 Theory and Experiment 3 The Human Element 5 Notes 5 Science

More information

Computing Machinery and Intelligence. The Imitation Game. Criticisms of the Game. The Imitation Game. Machines Concerned in the Game

Computing Machinery and Intelligence. The Imitation Game. Criticisms of the Game. The Imitation Game. Machines Concerned in the Game Computing Machinery and Intelligence By: A.M. Turing Andre Shields, Dean Farnsworth The Imitation Game Problem Can Machines Think? How the Game works Played with a man, a woman and and interrogator The

More information

A history of attempts to publish. Ludwik Kowalski, a physics teacher and nuclear physics researcher from Montclair State University, USA.

A history of attempts to publish. Ludwik Kowalski, a physics teacher and nuclear physics researcher from Montclair State University, USA. A history of attempts to publish Ludwik Kowalski, a physics teacher and nuclear physics researcher from Montclair State University, USA. My cold fusion paper was rejected by five editors who ignored the

More information

Academic argument does not mean conflict or competition; an argument is a set of reasons which support, or lead to, a conclusion.

Academic argument does not mean conflict or competition; an argument is a set of reasons which support, or lead to, a conclusion. ACADEMIC SKILLS THINKING CRITICALLY In the everyday sense of the word, critical has negative connotations. But at University, Critical Thinking is a positive process of understanding different points of

More information

From the Greek Oikos = House Ology = study of

From the Greek Oikos = House Ology = study of Chapter 1 - Introduction to Ecology What is Ecology??? From the Greek Oikos = House Ology = study of Ecology = the study of the relationship between organisms and their environment quite a large area of

More information

Introduction to Political Science

Introduction to Political Science Introduction to Political Science What is Science? Reading Ole J. Forsberg, Ph.D. University of Tennessee What is Science? Ole J. Forsberg What is a science? Science is a method of inquiry whose objectives

More information

Darwinist Arguments Against Intelligent Design Illogical and Misleading

Darwinist Arguments Against Intelligent Design Illogical and Misleading Darwinist Arguments Against Intelligent Design Illogical and Misleading I recently attended a debate on Intelligent Design (ID) and the Existence of God. One of the four debaters was Dr. Lawrence Krauss{1}

More information

Christianity and Science. Understanding the conflict (WAR)? Must we choose? A Slick New Packaging of Creationism

Christianity and Science. Understanding the conflict (WAR)? Must we choose? A Slick New Packaging of Creationism and Science Understanding the conflict (WAR)? Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, is a documentary which looks at how scientists who have discussed or written about Intelligent Design (and along the way

More information

someone who was willing to question even what seemed to be the most basic ideas in a

someone who was willing to question even what seemed to be the most basic ideas in a A skeptic is one who is willing to question any knowledge claim, asking for clarity in definition, consistency in logic and adequacy of evidence (adopted from Paul Kurtz, 1994). Evaluate this approach

More information

PHILOSOPHIES OF SCIENTIFIC TESTING

PHILOSOPHIES OF SCIENTIFIC TESTING PHILOSOPHIES OF SCIENTIFIC TESTING By John Bloore Internet Encyclopdia of Philosophy, written by John Wttersten, http://www.iep.utm.edu/cr-ratio/#h7 Carl Gustav Hempel (1905 1997) Known for Deductive-Nomological

More information

A Layperson s Guide to Hypothesis Testing By Michael Reames and Gabriel Kemeny ProcessGPS

A Layperson s Guide to Hypothesis Testing By Michael Reames and Gabriel Kemeny ProcessGPS A Layperson s Guide to Hypothesis Testing By Michael Reames and Gabriel Kemeny ProcessGPS In a recent Black Belt Class, the partners of ProcessGPS had a lively discussion about the topic of hypothesis

More information

Message: Faith & Science - Part 3

Message: Faith & Science - Part 3 The Light Shines Outside the Box www.jesusfamilies.org Message: Faith & Science - Part 3 Welcome back to JesusFamilies.org s audio messages! This message is entitled, Faith and Science: Part 3 In part

More information

SCIENCE AND CHRISTIANITY IN HARMONY? L. J. Gibson Geoscience Research Institute

SCIENCE AND CHRISTIANITY IN HARMONY? L. J. Gibson Geoscience Research Institute 265 SCIENCE AND CHRISTIANITY IN HARMONY? L. J. Gibson Geoscience Research Institute Science has achieved great success as a method of learning about and controlling nature. Probably every person on earth

More information

Content Area Variations of Academic Language

Content Area Variations of Academic Language Academic Expressions for Interpreting in Language Arts 1. It really means because 2. The is a metaphor for 3. It wasn t literal; that s the author s way of describing how 4. The author was trying to teach

More information

AP Euro Unit 5/C18 Assignment: A New World View

AP Euro Unit 5/C18 Assignment: A New World View AP Euro Unit 5/C18 Assignment: A New World View Be a History M.O.N.S.T.E.R! Vocabulary Overview Annotation The impact of science on the modern world is immeasurable. If the Greeks had said it all two thousand

More information

Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks - newmanlib.ibri.org - Evidence of God. In Cosmos & Conscience Robert C. Newman

Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks - newmanlib.ibri.org - Evidence of God. In Cosmos & Conscience Robert C. Newman Evidence of God In Cosmos & Conscience Robert C. Newman The Biblical Claim "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood

More information

PHIL*2160 Early Modern Philosophy: Reason vs. Experience

PHIL*2160 Early Modern Philosophy: Reason vs. Experience PHIL*2160 Early Modern Philosophy: Reason vs. Experience Winter 2019 Section(s): C01 Department of Philosophy Credit Weight: 0.50 Version 1.00 - January 07, 2019 1 Course Details 1.1 Calendar Description

More information

Merricks on the existence of human organisms

Merricks on the existence of human organisms Merricks on the existence of human organisms Cian Dorr August 24, 2002 Merricks s Overdetermination Argument against the existence of baseballs depends essentially on the following premise: BB Whenever

More information

Video: How does understanding whether or not an argument is inductive or deductive help me?

Video: How does understanding whether or not an argument is inductive or deductive help me? Page 1 of 10 10b Learn how to evaluate verbal and visual arguments. Video: How does understanding whether or not an argument is inductive or deductive help me? Download transcript Three common ways to

More information

Phil 1103 Review. Also: Scientific realism vs. anti-realism Can philosophers criticise science?

Phil 1103 Review. Also: Scientific realism vs. anti-realism Can philosophers criticise science? Phil 1103 Review Also: Scientific realism vs. anti-realism Can philosophers criticise science? 1. Copernican Revolution Students should be familiar with the basic historical facts of the Copernican revolution.

More information

Difference between Science and Religion? A Superficial, yet Tragi-Comic Misunderstanding...

Difference between Science and Religion? A Superficial, yet Tragi-Comic Misunderstanding... Difference between Science and Religion? A Superficial, yet Tragi-Comic Misunderstanding... Elemér E Rosinger Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics University of Pretoria Pretoria 0002 South

More information

Introduction The Definition of Science

Introduction The Definition of Science An Introduction to Science Scientific Thinking and the Scientific Method by Steven D. Schafersman Department of Geology Miami University January, 1997 http://www.muohio.edu/~schafesd/documents/intro-to-sci.htmlx

More information

The evolution of the meaning of SCIENCE. SCIENCE came from the latin word SCIENTIA which means knowledge.

The evolution of the meaning of SCIENCE. SCIENCE came from the latin word SCIENTIA which means knowledge. Chapter 2 The evolution of the meaning of SCIENCE SCIENCE came from the latin word SCIENTIA which means knowledge. ANCIENT SCIENCE (before the 8 th century) In ancient Greece, Science began with the discovery

More information

ahead Talk About It Enjoy the Movie In the pages The Power of TRUTH The Power of STUDY The Power of The Power of GRACE ASSUMPTIONS

ahead Talk About It Enjoy the Movie In the pages The Power of TRUTH The Power of STUDY The Power of The Power of GRACE ASSUMPTIONS DISCUSSION GUIDE GENESIS: PARADISE LOST GOD MADE EVERYTHING, AND IT WAS GOOD As the last of my five kids enters the high school years, our discussions shift from the questions, What is that? and, Why is

More information

A Brief Introduction to Key Terms

A Brief Introduction to Key Terms 1 A Brief Introduction to Key Terms 5 A Brief Introduction to Key Terms 1.1 Arguments Arguments crop up in conversations, political debates, lectures, editorials, comic strips, novels, television programs,

More information

Christ-Centered Critical Thinking. Lesson 6: Evaluating Thinking

Christ-Centered Critical Thinking. Lesson 6: Evaluating Thinking Christ-Centered Critical Thinking Lesson 6: Evaluating Thinking 1 In this lesson we will learn: To evaluate our thinking and the thinking of others using the Intellectual Standards Two approaches to evaluating

More information

Human Nature & Human Diversity: Sex, Love & Parenting; Morality, Religion & Race. Course Description

Human Nature & Human Diversity: Sex, Love & Parenting; Morality, Religion & Race. Course Description Human Nature & Human Diversity: Sex, Love & Parenting; Morality, Religion & Race Course Description Human Nature & Human Diversity is listed as both a Philosophy course (PHIL 253) and a Cognitive Science

More information

Falsification or Confirmation: From Logic to Psychology

Falsification or Confirmation: From Logic to Psychology Falsification or Confirmation: From Logic to Psychology Roman Lukyanenko Information Systems Department Florida international University rlukyane@fiu.edu Abstract Corroboration or Confirmation is a prominent

More information

The Case of Modern Science

The Case of Modern Science The Case of Modern Science Ngai Stanley Hiu-on Science, Shaw College Introduction Two aliens, Alpha and Beta, have just visited the ten planets where they placed UGFN students 10,000 years ago. They found

More information

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission.

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. The Physical World Author(s): Barry Stroud Source: Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, New Series, Vol. 87 (1986-1987), pp. 263-277 Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Aristotelian

More information

Chapter 2: Two Types of Reasoning

Chapter 2: Two Types of Reasoning Chapter 2: Two Types of Reasoning In chapter 1, I mentioned deductive and inductive arguments. This chapter goes into more depth on deductive reasoning in particular, but also provides a contrast with

More information

Verificationism. PHIL September 27, 2011

Verificationism. PHIL September 27, 2011 Verificationism PHIL 83104 September 27, 2011 1. The critique of metaphysics... 1 2. Observation statements... 2 3. In principle verifiability... 3 4. Strong verifiability... 3 4.1. Conclusive verifiability

More information

WHAT IS HUME S FORK? Certainty does not exist in science.

WHAT IS HUME S FORK?  Certainty does not exist in science. WHAT IS HUME S FORK? www.prshockley.org Certainty does not exist in science. I. Introduction: A. Hume divides all objects of human reason into two different kinds: Relation of Ideas & Matters of Fact.

More information

Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics. * Dr. Sunil S. Shete. * Associate Professor

Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics. * Dr. Sunil S. Shete. * Associate Professor Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics * Dr. Sunil S. Shete * Associate Professor Keywords: Philosophy of science, research methods, Logic, Business research Abstract This paper review Popper s epistemology

More information

Phil. 103: Introduction to Logic The Structure of Arguments

Phil. 103: Introduction to Logic The Structure of Arguments Phil. 103: Introduction to Logic The Structure of Arguments Spring 2005 c 2005 GFDL 1 Diagramming Arguments Directions: First, indicate whether the passages quoted below are arguments. If a passage is

More information

The problems of induction in scientific inquiry: Challenges and solutions. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction Defining induction...

The problems of induction in scientific inquiry: Challenges and solutions. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction Defining induction... The problems of induction in scientific inquiry: Challenges and solutions Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction... 2 2.0 Defining induction... 2 3.0 Induction versus deduction... 2 4.0 Hume's descriptive

More information

Scientific Knowledge and Faith

Scientific Knowledge and Faith Scientific Knowledge and Faith A lecture by Paul Davidovits Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Boston College BOISI CENTER FOR RELIGION AND AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE BOSTON COLLEGE, CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS

More information

A Warning about So-Called Rationalists

A Warning about So-Called Rationalists A Warning about So-Called Rationalists Mark F. Sharlow Have you ever heard of rationalism and rationalists? If so, have you wondered what these words mean? A rationalist is someone who believes that reason

More information

Higher National Unit Specification. General information for centres. Unit title: Philosophy C: An Introduction to Analytic Philosophy

Higher National Unit Specification. General information for centres. Unit title: Philosophy C: An Introduction to Analytic Philosophy Higher National Unit Specification General information for centres Unit code: D7PN 35 Unit purpose: This Unit aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the Anglo- American analytic tradition in 20

More information

John Locke. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

John Locke. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding John Locke An Essay Concerning Human Understanding From Rationalism to Empiricism Empiricism vs. Rationalism Empiricism: All knowledge ultimately rests upon sense experience. All justification (our reasons

More information

It Ain t What You Prove, It s the Way That You Prove It. a play by Chris Binge

It Ain t What You Prove, It s the Way That You Prove It. a play by Chris Binge It Ain t What You Prove, It s the Way That You Prove It a play by Chris Binge (From Alchin, Nicholas. Theory of Knowledge. London: John Murray, 2003. Pp. 66-69.) Teacher: Good afternoon class. For homework

More information

The Role of Science in God s world

The Role of Science in God s world The Role of Science in God s world A/Prof. Frank Stootman f.stootman@uws.edu.au www.labri.org A Remarkable Universe By any measure we live in a remarkable universe We can talk of the existence of material

More information

Science, Evolution, And Creationism By National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine READ ONLINE

Science, Evolution, And Creationism By National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine READ ONLINE Science, Evolution, And Creationism By National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine READ ONLINE Overview: The Conflict Between Religion and Evolution Pew - (See The Social and Legal Dimensions of

More information

The Laws of Conservation

The Laws of Conservation Atheism is a lack of belief mentality which rejects the existence of anything supernatural. By default, atheists are also naturalists and evolutionists. They believe there is a natural explanation for

More information

Lecture 6. Realism and Anti-realism Kuhn s Philosophy of Science

Lecture 6. Realism and Anti-realism Kuhn s Philosophy of Science Lecture 6 Realism and Anti-realism Kuhn s Philosophy of Science Realism and Anti-realism Science and Reality Science ought to describe reality. But what is Reality? Is what we think we see of reality really

More information

Chapter 2 Science as a Way of Knowing: Critical Thinking about the Environment

Chapter 2 Science as a Way of Knowing: Critical Thinking about the Environment Chapter 2 Science as a Way of Knowing: Critical Thinking about the Environment Understanding What Science Is Scientific understanding of life and its environment is based on scientific method. Science

More information

I Found You. Chapter 1. To Begin? Assumptions are peculiar things. Everybody has them, but very rarely does anyone want

I Found You. Chapter 1. To Begin? Assumptions are peculiar things. Everybody has them, but very rarely does anyone want Chapter 1 To Begin? Assumptions Assumptions are peculiar things. Everybody has them, but very rarely does anyone want to talk about them. I am not going to pretend that I have no assumptions coming into

More information

Why Good Science Is Not Value-Free

Why Good Science Is Not Value-Free Why Good Science Is Not Value-Free Karim Bschir, Dep. of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zurich FPF 2017 Workshop, Zurich Scientific Challenges in the Risk Assessment of Food Contact Materials

More information

Philosophy 12 Study Guide #4 Ch. 2, Sections IV.iii VI

Philosophy 12 Study Guide #4 Ch. 2, Sections IV.iii VI Philosophy 12 Study Guide #4 Ch. 2, Sections IV.iii VI Precising definition Theoretical definition Persuasive definition Syntactic definition Operational definition 1. Are questions about defining a phrase

More information

Establishing premises

Establishing premises Establishing premises This is hard, subtle, and crucial to good arguments. Various kinds of considerations are used to establish the truth (high justification) of premises Deduction Done Analogy Induction

More information

1. Introduction Formal deductive logic Overview

1. Introduction Formal deductive logic Overview 1. Introduction 1.1. Formal deductive logic 1.1.0. Overview In this course we will study reasoning, but we will study only certain aspects of reasoning and study them only from one perspective. The special

More information

Richard L. W. Clarke, Notes REASONING

Richard L. W. Clarke, Notes REASONING 1 REASONING Reasoning is, broadly speaking, the cognitive process of establishing reasons to justify beliefs, conclusions, actions or feelings. It also refers, more specifically, to the act or process

More information

The Nature of Science: Methods for Seeking Natural Patterns in the Universe Using Rationalism and Empiricism Mike Viney

The Nature of Science: Methods for Seeking Natural Patterns in the Universe Using Rationalism and Empiricism Mike Viney The Nature of Science: Methods for Seeking Natural Patterns in the Universe Using Rationalism and Empiricism Mike Viney Fascination with science often starts at an early age, as it did with me. Many students

More information

EMPIRICISM & EMPIRICAL PHILOSOPHY

EMPIRICISM & EMPIRICAL PHILOSOPHY EMPIRICISM & EMPIRICAL PHILOSOPHY One of the most remarkable features of the developments in England was the way in which the pioneering scientific work was influenced by certain philosophers, and vice-versa.

More information

Answers to Five Questions

Answers to Five Questions Answers to Five Questions In Philosophy of Action: 5 Questions, Aguilar, J & Buckareff, A (eds.) London: Automatic Press. Joshua Knobe [For a volume in which a variety of different philosophers were each

More information

The activity It is important to set ground rules to provide a safe environment where students are respected as they explore their own viewpoints.

The activity It is important to set ground rules to provide a safe environment where students are respected as they explore their own viewpoints. Introduction In this activity, students distinguish between religious, scientific, metaphysical and moral ideas. It helps to frame the way students think about the world, and also helps them to understand,

More information

Charles Saunders Peirce ( )

Charles Saunders Peirce ( ) Charles Saunders Peirce (1839-1914) Few persons care to study logic, because everybody conceives himself to be proficient enough in the art of reasoning already. But I observe that this satisfaction is

More information

What. A New Way of Thinking...modern consciousness.

What. A New Way of Thinking...modern consciousness. A New Way of Thinking...modern consciousness. What The Renaissance and the Reformation facilitated the breakdown of the medieval worldview. The physical world could be managed and understood by people.

More information

Either God wants to abolish evil and cannot, or he can but does not want to, or he cannot and does not want to, or lastly he can and wants to.

Either God wants to abolish evil and cannot, or he can but does not want to, or he cannot and does not want to, or lastly he can and wants to. 1. Scientific Proof Against God In God: The Failed Hypothesis How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist, Victor J. Stenger offers this scientific argument against the existence of God: a) Hypothesize a

More information

A Posteriori Necessities by Saul Kripke (excerpted from Naming and Necessity, 1980)

A Posteriori Necessities by Saul Kripke (excerpted from Naming and Necessity, 1980) A Posteriori Necessities by Saul Kripke (excerpted from Naming and Necessity, 1980) Let's suppose we refer to the same heavenly body twice, as 'Hesperus' and 'Phosphorus'. We say: Hesperus is that star

More information

PHLA10 Reason and Truth Exercise 1

PHLA10 Reason and Truth Exercise 1 Y e P a g e 1 Exercise 1 Pg. 17 1. When is an idea or statement valid? (trick question) A statement or an idea cannot be valid; they can only be true or false. Being valid or invalid are properties of

More information

Curtis Solomon What is the difference between a deductive and an inductive argument?

Curtis Solomon What is the difference between a deductive and an inductive argument? Review: What is the difference between a deductive and an inductive argument? What is a valid argument? What is a sound argument? Vs. Arguments inductive argument: argument in which it is improbable that

More information

9 Knowledge-Based Systems

9 Knowledge-Based Systems 9 Knowledge-Based Systems Throughout this book, we have insisted that intelligent behavior in people is often conditioned by knowledge. A person will say a certain something about the movie 2001 because

More information

Ayer on the criterion of verifiability

Ayer on the criterion of verifiability Ayer on the criterion of verifiability November 19, 2004 1 The critique of metaphysics............................. 1 2 Observation statements............................... 2 3 In principle verifiability...............................

More information

Science, Rationality and the Human Mind. by Garry Jacobs

Science, Rationality and the Human Mind. by Garry Jacobs Science, Rationality and the Human Mind by Garry Jacobs 1 25 20 15 10 5 0 400 300 200 100 Earthquakes in Japan 1900-2008 Earthquakes & Climate Change 1900-1924 1925-1949 1950-1974 1975-1999 2000-2008 Worldwide

More information

2 FREE CHOICE The heretical thesis of Hobbes is the orthodox position today. So much is this the case that most of the contemporary literature

2 FREE CHOICE The heretical thesis of Hobbes is the orthodox position today. So much is this the case that most of the contemporary literature Introduction The philosophical controversy about free will and determinism is perennial. Like many perennial controversies, this one involves a tangle of distinct but closely related issues. Thus, the

More information

Difference between Science and Religion? - A Superficial, yet Tragi-Comic Misunderstanding

Difference between Science and Religion? - A Superficial, yet Tragi-Comic Misunderstanding Scientific God Journal November 2012 Volume 3 Issue 10 pp. 955-960 955 Difference between Science and Religion? - A Superficial, yet Tragi-Comic Misunderstanding Essay Elemér E. Rosinger 1 Department of

More information