Why bother?
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Transcript of Why bother?
Why bother?Lecture 1:
The Nature and Value of ScienceJune 13 2013
Masaru Emoto’s frozen water crystal experiment
Before Buddhist prayer
AfterBuddhist prayer
Biodegradable Plastics?
Water-powered vehicle and Daniel Dingle
Math behind network marketing
“Science is more than a body of knowledge.
It is a way of thinking.”
– Carl Sagan
Science as a rational inquiry
into Nature.1. Objective reality
and rational Subject
2. Laws govern nature3. Human mind can
know these natural laws (mathematical models)
SCIENCE isEmpirical statements +Internal consistency +
Philosophical underpinnings
The Scientifi
c Method
ObservationHypothesisExperimentConclusionTheory
Methods of Science
Literature
(Re)formulateproblem
ObserveExperiment
Measure
Make logical inferenceDo mathematical
manipulation
Build theoryNOBEL PRIZE
Anomalies
IndianaPi Bill (1894)
Physics is the study of matter and energy.
Atomic model: Matter is made up of
electrons and nucleus.
Science is an invitation to ask more and think more.
Major referenceGarcia, Jerrold. Science and the Scientific Method. Stellar
Origins Human Ways: Readings in Science, Technology, and Society. Edited by Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. 2011.
Some notes:• I am not a physics god.• Ask.• Think.• Three points every after lecture.• I expect the minimum: short quiz every after
class (for attendance as well)• Easy: directly given in class (60%)
Medium: one to two step deduction (30%)Difficult: needs ingenuity (10%)
• I do not tolerate plagiarism and cheating.
Grading