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Showing posts with the label Scientific Method

Science Starts with a Question, Not a Conclusion

Science is the perpetual pursuit of truth . It explores , identifies , investigates and forms models to predict future events . Models are applied to new instances and are tested against their natural environment to ensure that they are valid under similar situations . Science rests on asking questions . If science starts with a conclusion , the entire process of investigation becomes invalid . A person who jumps quickly to a conclusion without appropriate fact finding often does so based on their personal and subjective perspective . The conclusion is more about the investigator ’s personality and goals than it is about truth . The researcher projects their bias into the study and skews the results ; the entire report becomes invalidated. Starting with a question ensures that all possible outcomes are considered as an explanation . The researcher should not selectively accept and reject relevant in

Book Review: Philosophy 101 by Paul Kleinman

Philosophy 101 provides a broad snap shot of the major philosophical thoughts since ancient times. The book is easy to read and simplifies the theories and ideas for layman philosophers to see the depth and scope of thought in human society. It is this human thought that has pushed society to newer levels of thinking that keep humanity moving forward to new heights.  Philosophy is considered a cultured persons hobby, a poor man’s occupation, and trivia entertainment to the masses. We fail to see that philosophy is the root foundation of science and the two cannot be unmarried. Skilled philosophers use multiple avenues to understand a problem and regularly are running against the grain of current thought.  Despite the natural desire to arrest new thoughts in society it is the philosophers that society owes its greatest consideration. Whether we are discussing scientific principle or the very constitution of the country none of it would have been possible unless philosophica

Book Review: Brilliant Blunders by Mario Livio

Science is not as concrete as we believe it to be. What we know today as fact was once only theory. Only through the evaluation of those premises, conclusions, and so called “facts” can society continue to develop its scientific beliefs. Brilliant Blunders highlights those major miscalculations by great scientific thinkers that led to other discoveries and truths even though that was not the scientist’s intention. Let us consider Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity that proposes objects move in relation to each other in time creating the space-time continuum that still holds true today. He also proposed a concept called dark energy. He later removed the theory calling it a mistake. A problem resulted when other researchers confirmed that it actually exists. NASA currently believes that dark energy constitutes most of our universe and Einstein was right. Science is on its own continuum of development. Mistakes are rarely accidental and require significant learned skil