Hiatus: What is Science?

Science and Difficult Questions

During this one-week break in the course, I invite you consider the nature of science in the context of trying to make very difficult and uncertain measurements: vast distances to galaxies and quasars, unimaginable recession speeds of such objects from us, the size and age of the universe, and so on.

You received by email an article by Naomi Orestes, about the meaning of scientific "truths". Read and think about that article, then read "What is Science" HERE. This latter article is the anchor of the whole One Culture website, and is an attempt to provide clarity about the meaning of several key terms that scientists use, and about how to distinguish the various things people might mean when they use the word "science".

To Think About

• In "What is Science", philosopher John Searle is paraphrased as saying that the findings of science are

true, objective, and universal: true, despite all truth being subject to revision; objective, despite the presence of subjective elements in the judgments that accept it; universal (true in all times and places), despite having been discovered in specific instances. 

Do you find any conflict between Searle's view and that of Orestes? If not why not? If so, how would you distinguish or reconcile them?

• Science is a very human form of knowledge. How so?

• Finally, read this poem, a personal favorite of mine. If you have taken any of my previous courses, you've probably seen it. What does it mean to you?

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I'm looking forward to continuing That Star, How Far? with you.