nature of science[1]
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I: What is nature of science?
Science is an endeavour that seeks tounderstand the workings of the natural world
for example, how did life began, are we alone inthis universe, and can we travel to outer space
Science makes use of logical tools to probe themysteries of nature these could be
experimental and mathematical tools Science also refers to the corpus of knowledge
that has been accumulated so far
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II: What is Nature of Science?
A good understanding of living things &the environment has now been obtained
Techniques used to develop this body ofknowledge include observing, thinking,experimenting and validating
These ways represent a fundamentalaspect of the nature of science and reflecthow science tends to differ from other
modes of knowing
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Nature of Science
We will concentrate on three aspects:(a)Scientific worldview
(b)Scientific inquiry(c)Scientific enterprise
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Scientific Worldview
Scientists have developed a set of viewsand attitudes on what makes their work
unique and how they go about doing it These attitudes and views are shaped by
the way the natural world has been made
amenable to understanding throughsustained logical probing and objectiveanalyses
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Scientific Worldview (a) theworld is understandable
The phenomena and events that occur innature can be understood if we study
them systematically Use of the human intellect as well as tools
that stretch our sensory capabilities can
uncover patterns in nature The laws of science hold in all parts of the
universe
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Scientific Worldview (b) scientificideas are subject to change
Science is a means for creating new knowledge Scientific knowledge often exists in a state of flux
because new findings may challenge the validity of
current thinking Just because a certain theory explains a set of
observations or phenomena does not mean that anothertheory cannot do so an alternative theory may well beequally valid
It is difficult to attain total understanding or absolutetruth in respect of an event or phenomena in nature buta good approximation is possible and this can explainmany things rationally
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Scientific Worldview (c)scientific knowledge is durable
Scientists recognize the limitations of the scientificenterprise in attaining total understanding of somethingin nature the gap between current understanding and
total understanding represents an element of uncertaintythat they can live with
Notwithstanding the difficulty of achieving the absolutetruth, many facets of scientific knowledge are able to
stand the test of time Progressive shaping of an idea to a level of acceptability
rather than its total rejection is generally the norm inscience
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Scientific Worldview (d) sciencecannot provide complete answers to all
questions There are limitations to the methods of science Certain things cannot be probed objectively
using the scientific approach Examples include existence of spirits, occurrence
of miracles, existence of supernatural powers,predicting an individuals future and validity of
superstitious beliefs
With their training, scientists can, however,provide a useful perspective to the discussions
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Scientific Inquiry
As science is perceived to be a means toprobe the mysteries of nature, it figures as
a mode of inquiry It is possible for all of us to emulate theworking approaches of scientists in orderto exercise inquiry in matters of everyday
significance
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Scientific Inquiry (a) sciencedemands evidence
An outlandish claim made by a scientist can beconfirmed or rejected by observations of relatedphenomena
Observations and measurements allow scientists toobtain accurate data Use of instruments to probe characteristics not amenable
to the senses allows scientists to overcome thelimitations of the sensesfor example, magnetic fields
Significant emphasis is devoted in science to developingmore powerful instruments and techniques ofobservations
When a scientist makes a claim, it is usually checked by
others working in the same field
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Scientific Inquiry (b) science is ablend of logic and investigation
Coming up with a new theory or hypothesis isnot an easy task considerable thinking andimagination are often necessary
A good analogy for coming up with a new theoryor a hypothesis is the writing of poetry,composing of music or the design of an aircraftcarrier
At times, scientists stumble upon discoveries byaccident or by chance
Data obtained by a scientist but ignored incoming up with a theory may be analyzed byothers to come up with new discoveries
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Scientific Inquiry (c) scienceexplains and predicts
Current scientific knowledge can often be usedto make sense of new observations andphenomena
If a scientific finding relating to a phenomenacan be used to show linkages with otherphenomena, its validity is enhanced.
Example: Theory of Moving Continents is able to
explain linkages among unrelated phenomenasuch as volcanoes, earthquakes, fit betweenfossil types found on different continents,shapes of continents and contours of sea beds
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Scientific Inquiry (d)scientists tend to identify and
avoid bias A scientist is skeptical by nature if somebody makes an
outlandish claim, he asks for proof
Sometimes, bias can creep into scientific data
unwittingly Scientists citizenship, sex, racial origin, and political
leanings can influence them to explore specific evidenceswhile de-emphasizing other kinds of evidences
Example: In study of primates, emphasis by malescientists was on competitive social behavior of males. Itwas only when female scientists entered this field thatfemale primates community-building behavior wasdiscovered
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Scientific Inquiry (e) Scienceis not authoritarian
In the annals of science, famous scientists havebeen proved wrong a number of times
Just because a scientist is famous does notmean that he has the monopoly of truth in aparticular field
No scientist believes that another scientist hasthe answers to all questions in a field
Radical concepts that do not gel with currentthinking may encounter criticisms
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Scientific Enterprise (a) Science is acomplex social activity
Anyone, irrespective of ethnic, national andgender backgrounds, can participate in science
scientists, doctors, engineers, technicians,librarians, and teachers use a lot of science intheir work
As a social endeavor, science tends to impose
values and views: for example, in the 19thcentury and before, restrictions were placed onthe education and employment of females andthus their exclusion from most of science
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Scientific Enterprise (a) Science isorganized into disciplines and conducted invarious institutions
Science has developed so much that it is now organizedinto disciplines
With science being organized into disciplines, there is anoverarching schemata to provide structure fororganizing research and classifying findings
Disadvantage is that the natural world is multi-disciplinary in its workings thus the segmentation ofscience does not mirror the way the world works andthus makes the establishing of linkages difficult
Scientific disciplines generally have porous borders New disciplines are being formed at the interfaces of
other disciplines Many institutions engage in science-based activities for
example, hospitals, universities, libraries, and schools
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Scientific Enterprise (c) There areethical principles in the conduct of
science Scientists subscribe to a code of ethics in
their work
Some of the traditions include maintainingproper records and notes, beingobjective, encouraging others to replicate
their work, and allowing critical review oftheir work by other scientists
When live subjects are used, proper
protocols must be observed
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Scientific Enterprise Scientistsparticipate in public affairs both as
scientists and citizens With their training and habits of mind, scientists
can bring useful insights into matters of publicdebate and interest
They can help the public to understand thepossible reasons for the occurrence of an eventand the implications of certain policies
Some matters of public debate are just toocomplex, and scientists have their limitations tocontribute to these discusions in a meaningfulmanner