What is Science?

[quote]ucallthatbass wrote:
Fucking magnets, how do they work?[/quote]

It has to be Magic!!!

[quote]timmyo wrote:
“science is not truth”…?[/quote]

What kind of truth?

Science doesn’t really offer anything morally supportive in the area of “what is the meaning of my life? Why shouldn’t I off myself now?”

However, it does give you things like “this hormone does this” and “if you step off a cliff, you always fall down” "if bacteria evolve at this rate, the colony maintains itself and develops resistance to the antibiotic. However, if we cause the colony to evolve at this rate it develops too many mutations in a single generation and too many of those mutations are non-adaptive, the colony will die off in a few generations. "

Or “We thought we were the biggest, most important thing in the world. It turns out we aren’t the biggest. We’re actually inconceivable small… what is the meaning of important?”

[quote]timmyo wrote:
“science is not truth”…?[/quote]

He’s Christian

:slight_smile:

Science isn’t a concept, idea or belief; it is a method.
A method that focuses on empirical data to reveal “the truths” about our universe.

The scientific method is simple:

-Come up with an idea or problem.
-Research to see if anyone has attempted idea or problem before.

If yes:
-Contact them and enquire about it.

If no:
-Do research on the matter concerning this problem or idea.

-Brainstorm to find a solution (how to impliment idea, how to solve problem)
-Outline the various characterstics of idea or solutions to problem, with their pros and cons.
-Come up with a model to solve idea or problem.
-Test model via experimentation and observation.
-Analyze results.
-Repeat model testing and modify as needed.

If you didn’t solve your idea or problem:
-Publish findings and have them peer reviews.
-Continue testing or find something else to work on.

If you think you solved the problem or proved your idea:
-Publish findings and have them peer reviewed.

If reviews come back positive:
-Further testing.
-Improve model some more.
-Feasability
-Research.
-Impliment idea or solved problem.
-Improve idea or solution, or find something else to work on.

The reason there is a “fight” between science and religion, with people wrongly believing science is some sort of faith, is that religion focuses on “faith”. Faith meaning you deny any ‘proofs’ and simply believe the thing you re supposed to be believe, regardless of how impossible it sounds.

Science, on the other hand, is a method used to deduce the nature of various disciplines and subjects.
Meaning that in the past, instead of relying on ‘faith’, individuals would conduct experiments and through observations were able to come up with various ‘laws’ that govern our universe.
Laws that held true for 99 percent of the cases.

Math is the purest form of our knowledge. Every single field is entirely reliant on mathematics. It is an entirely objective and empirical field, hence the purity.
Whether it is biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, social studies or otherwise, it all ties in with math.
Mathematics proves and solidifies the inner workings of everything. Physics applies those proofs to the physical world.
Then it spreads out. From there you can focus on biology, geology, astronomy, engineering, chemistry, etc.
Does this mean to make progress in one of those fields you need to go through math? Not necessarily. You are simply improving that specific field. Finding out which neuroreceptor or neurotransmitter is used in process A does not mean you relied on math.
Math is the trees, and everything else is the forest. Math simply explains the why.

The Ancient Greeks were able to calculate the circumference of the earth, distance between celestial bodies and otherwise by using science.
It is quite amazing when you consider the fact that all they had was pen and paper. They spent their entire lives trying to seek the truth. They excelled in medicine, astronomy and math.
The Ancient Romans furthered engineering (all disciplines - especially civil), metallurgy and various fields concerning materials. The Ancient Romans invented glass, for example.
Let’s not forget the Mayans, Ancient China and Ancient Arabia, among others. The Babylonians came before all that, but I know more about Ancient Rome and Greece than them :stuck_out_tongue:

Science is knowing you know nothing and getting off your knees and doing it yourself; much like the guy who gets ready for a heavy deadlift, knowing full well he has to do all the work.

The Ancient Greeks used to believe in Zeus, Athena and Hermes. The Norse used to believe in Freyja and Odin. The Ancient Romans in Jupiter, Mars and Venus.
They used to believe that thunder and lightning were the Gods telling us they were angry. Now we all know better.
This was supposed to be an explanation about science, but it turned into an anti-faith thing. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was important to mention.
It is hard to explain just how much we have been retarded(/slowed down) by religion.

We are at the top of the food chain due to our intelligence. It is a shame that a large number of individuals subscribe to a concept that forbids the usage of that intelligence.

edit: I see the retards are out in full force tonight.

Science is a systematic approroach to identifying and solving problems.

thou hath been schooled, son!

I M M O R T A L

[quote]debraD wrote:
scientific method.

[/quote]
nonono can’t use part of the definition to explain the word.

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:

[quote]timmyo wrote:
“science is not truth”…?[/quote]

He’s Christian

:)[/quote]
:slight_smile:

[quote]PB Andy wrote:

[quote]debraD wrote:
scientific method.

[/quote]
Peanut Butter runs through my veins. I’m so creamy, motherfucker…[/quote]

[quote]PB Andy wrote:

[quote]debraD wrote:
scientific method.

[/quote]
nonono can’t use part of the definition to explain the word.[/quote]

That applies in most cases, but in this one she’s naming a set of steps by saying “scientific method” which is different than the word “science”.

You can’t say “What is cold? Well this room is cold.”

But you could say “what is jack hammering? Well, it’s when you use this thing called a jack hammer to hammer with.”

[quote]legendaryblaze wrote:
Science isn’t a concept, idea or belief; it is a method.
A method that focuses on empirical data to reveal “the truths” about our universe.

The scientific method is simple:

-Come up with an idea or problem.
-Research to see if anyone has attempted idea or problem before.

If yes:
-Contact them and enquire about it.

If no:
-Do research on the matter concerning this problem or idea.

-Brainstorm to find a solution (how to impliment idea, how to solve problem)
-Outline the various characterstics of idea or solutions to problem, with their pros and cons.
-Come up with a model to solve idea or problem.
-Test model via experimentation and observation.
-Analyze results.
-Repeat model testing and modify as needed.

If you didn’t solve your idea or problem:
-Publish findings and have them peer reviews.
-Continue testing or find something else to work on.

If you think you solved the problem or proved your idea:
-Publish findings and have them peer reviewed.

If reviews come back positive:
-Further testing.
-Improve model some more.
-Feasability
-Research.
-Impliment idea or solved problem.
-Improve idea or solution, or find something else to work on.

The reason there is a “fight” between science and religion, with people wrongly believing science is some sort of faith, is that religion focuses on “faith”. Faith meaning you deny any ‘proofs’ and simply believe the thing you re supposed to be believe, regardless of how impossible it sounds.

Science, on the other hand, is a method used to deduce the nature of various disciplines and subjects.
Meaning that in the past, instead of relying on ‘faith’, individuals would conduct experiments and through observations were able to come up with various ‘laws’ that govern our universe.
Laws that held true for 99 percent of the cases.

Math is the purest form of our knowledge. Every single field is entirely reliant on mathematics. It is an entirely objective and empirical field, hence the purity.
Whether it is biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, social studies or otherwise, it all ties in with math.
Mathematics proves and solidifies the inner workings of everything. Physics applies those proofs to the physical world.
Then it spreads out. From there you can focus on biology, geology, astronomy, engineering, chemistry, etc.
Does this mean to make progress in one of those fields you need to go through math? Not necessarily. You are simply improving that specific field. Finding out which neuroreceptor or neurotransmitter is used in process A does not mean you relied on math.
Math is the trees, and everything else is the forest. Math simply explains the why.

The Ancient Greeks were able to calculate the circumference of the earth, distance between celestial bodies and otherwise by using science.
It is quite amazing when you consider the fact that all they had was pen and paper. They spent their entire lives trying to seek the truth. They excelled in medicine, astronomy and math.
The Ancient Romans furthered engineering (all disciplines - especially civil), metallurgy and various fields concerning materials. The Ancient Romans invented glass, for example.
Let’s not forget the Mayans, Ancient China and Ancient Arabia, among others. The Babylonians came before all that, but I know more about Ancient Rome and Greece than them :stuck_out_tongue:

Science is knowing you know nothing and getting off your knees and doing it yourself; much like the guy who gets ready for a heavy deadlift, knowing full well he has to do all the work.

The Ancient Greeks used to believe in Zeus, Athena and Hermes. The Norse used to believe in Freyja and Odin. The Ancient Romans in Jupiter, Mars and Venus.
They used to believe that thunder and lightning were the Gods telling us they were angry. Now we all know better.
This was supposed to be an explanation about science, but it turned into an anti-faith thing. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was important to mention.
It is hard to explain just how much we have been retarded(/slowed down) by religion.

We are at the top of the food chain due to our intelligence. It is a shame that a large number of individuals subscribe to a concept that forbids the usage of that intelligence.

edit: I see the retards are out in full force tonight.[/quote]

This.

It can be further simplified as this.

A branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.

[quote]Oleena wrote:

[quote]goldengloves wrote:

[quote]Mascherano wrote:

[quote]Oleena wrote:
Basically it comes down to everyone agreeing on a proccess and language for investigating phenomenon.

The difference between science and [philosophy, religion, and magic] is it’s easy to get in definition battles over those last three, hence, you create your own reality. With science, you have a language that you aren’t allowed to define without many other people agreeing on your definition, and you aren’t allowed to describe without following methods everyone else decided on described by the definitions they also decided on. Hence, two people with differing beliefs will can come to the same answer.

For example, in philosphy, no one can make a blanket statement and terms such as “happiness” are free to be defined however the user wishes. In science, you have universal laws agreed on and having the same application to everyone unless proven otherwise (such as the concept of time, which was used a certain way until people were able to redefine how to use it, and now everyone is on board with using it the new way).[/quote]

I disagree here O, all ideologies including religion and magic rely on consensus for validation - not unlike science.

And the very fact that “everyone is on board” is what makes science all the more like magic. We replace our mythology with science because no one (by this I mean mostly regular joes) bother to question it. Thus in place of our deities we now have our Einsteins and Hawkings and we are content to “know” the truth.

Furthermore, science and scientific endeavors are purported by those actors with the means to carry them out. Thus science is imbued with all sorts of social and ideological implications that make it not in the least bit unbiased. See the oil industry, arms race, medical technology as a prime examples.
[/quote]

There’s no need for a regular Joe to question science when science questions itself. I can’t see how science is truly replacing a deity when science actually has a burden of proof either.[/quote]

This. Also, here’s an example of the fact that religion and philosphy don’t have agreed on language:

When discussing what contributes to a population of humans possessing a higher level of happiness with a philosopher, I received the answer:

“Well what makes someone else happy is different than what makes me happy. I’m sure X phenomenon, which you say makes no one happy, has made someone happy in the history of exisstance. Because happiness is so personally defined, there’s no way we can know for sure what will make a bunch of people happier. All I can know is that makes me happy.”

However, if you ready psychological literature you find:

“Happiness is defined as Sense of Well-being and is measured by these things. A raise by this percentage contributes this much” So already I know what someone else is talking about when they say happiness, i know which phenomenon their discussing, and they have data coming from outside of themselves rather than “I personally think this”.

As for Einstien and Hawkings being gods of science, that’s hilarious. Einstien tried to disprove his own theory of relativity many times and so has everyone else. Hell, we’re still checking atomic clocks coming off of airports to see if he was right!

Also, if it wasn’t for the questioning of previous data through science, einstien would still be following newton’s reasoning about everything. But instead of accepting the “gods” knowledge, he tested it and made adjustments to what he found.

Irene Pepperberg questioned the “fact” that only mammals were capable of cognition and proved it wrong (that happened in the last 10 years) and there are billions of other examples of “facts” being constantly questioned.

No one’s proof is good enough, not even the big names in science. For every big name, there are thousands trying to disprove.[/quote]

Good post.

[quote]Mascherano wrote:

[quote]goldengloves wrote:

[quote]Mascherano wrote:

[quote]Oleena wrote:
[/quote]

[/quote]

There’s no need for a regular Joe to question science when science questions itself. I can’t see how science is truly replacing a deity when science actually has a burden of proof either.[/quote]

That’s a good point.

I just hate thinking that the masses are thoughtless and ignorant and would rather believe what their told than question bold claims. But life is tough and people have better things to do. Plus maths is hard![/quote]

You’re not fooling anyone, Latinos have long known Argentinians just hate thinking in general LOL.

I wouldn’t say thoughtless, things of that nature are just beyond what the average person thinks about. To be honest I’d say most people just think of themselves anyway.

Isn’t a volcano just an angry hill?

[quote]ExtremistPullup wrote:
Isn’t a volcano just an angry hill?[/quote]

No, I think it’s a mountain that has reached its climax.

Science is the formulation of hypotheses, and the subsequent testing/proving of those hypotheses.

just to introduce a non-religious opposing view:

If you look at science as we now practice it, scientific method, theory and hypothesis and evidence(which is greatly misused to “prove” certain theories, much like statistics can be manipulated to prove a study, get a grant, pass a law, etc, we aren’t having a lot of success.

Medicinal science: for all our bravado, we still get old, die, catch colds, etc. Science has provided us with vaccines that we are only beginning to understand actually cause many diseases to mutate and become more potent. After all this science, why, in 2010 do I have a cold right now?

Economic science: Would I send my kid to Harvard to get a high-end Wall Street job right now? In this global economy? WTF are they teaching up there? We, as a species, don’t understand CRAP.

Green science: I like where this is headed, but what about all the “progress” that got us in this jam in the first place? Ozone holes, ice caps melting, oil spills.

And Technology? Hey, I can watch porn on my cell phone. Yay. So can my 6-year old nephew. Oops.

Science–we aren’t doing it right.

SCIENCE IS BASICALLY JESUS JUST IN A DIFFERENT FORM. PRAISE BABY JESUS!

Science is a process we use to understand the nature of the universe. The scientific process for answering questions is superior to others (religion, reading tea leaves, whatever) because it recognizes human bias and tries hard to correct for it. Concepts such as double blind studies and peer review help to make it the most objective approach we have. When someone makes a scientific claim it is scrutinized with the sole aim of finding flaws. Furthermore, the open-mindedness of science is its strength. If new evidence comes to light that contradicts a previous understanding and explanation, the explanation is changed.

For example. If a car doesn’t work, one may assume it is the fuel injection system. If the fuel injection system turns out to be working fine, the scientific approach is to say, “Well, my original thought was wrong, so I must find a better explanation in order to move forward.” This contradicts other approaches that would respond by saying, “Well, I already believe it is the fuel injection system, and have believed it for a while, so I am going to ignore the evidence that says its working and still operate as though the fuel injection is the problem.”

So to amend my opening statement, “Science is the BEST process we have for understanding the nature of the universe.”

[quote]optheta wrote:
SCIENCE IS BASICALLY JESUS JUST IN A DIFFERENT FORM. PRAISE BABY JESUS![/quote]

The lord works in mysterious ways.

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:

[quote]timmyo wrote:
“science is not truth”…?[/quote]

He’s Christian

:)[/quote]

No, I just found it on the first link when I typed in “Science is…” by the way, not only am I Christian, I am Catholic. Don’t know if you noticed all the science we have introduced to civilization.

[quote]goldengloves wrote:
There’s no need for a regular Joe to question science when science questions itself. I can’t see how science is truly replacing a deity when science actually has a burden of proof either.[/quote]

Is this sarcasm?