I: What is nature of science?

Science is an endeavour that seeks to

understand the workings of the natural world for example, how did life began, are we alone in this universe, and can we travel to outer space Science makes use of logical tools to probe the mysteries of nature these could be experimental and mathematical tools Science also refers to the corpus of knowledge that has been accumulated so far

II: What is Nature of Science?

A good understanding of living things &

the environment has now been obtained Techniques used to develop this body of knowledge include observing, thinking, experimenting and validating These ways represent a fundamental aspect of the nature of science and reflect how science tends to differ from other modes of knowing

Nature of Science
We will concentrate on three aspects: (a)Scientific worldview (b)Scientific inquiry (c)Scientific enterprise

Scientific Worldview
Scientists have developed a set of views
and 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 through sustained logical probing and objective analyses

Scientific Worldview (a) the world is understandable

The phenomena and events that occur in
nature 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

Scientific Worldview (b) scientific ideas 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 another theory cannot do so an alternative theory may well be equally valid It is difficult to attain total understanding or absolute truth in respect of an event or phenomena in nature but a good approximation is possible and this can explain many things rationally

Scientific Worldview (c) scientific knowledge is durable

Scientists recognize the limitations of the scientific
enterprise in attaining total understanding of something in nature the gap between current understanding and total understanding represents an element of uncertainty that they can live with Notwithstanding the difficulty of achieving the absolute truth, 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 in science

Scientific Worldview (d) science cannot 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

Scientific Inquiry
As science is perceived to be a means to
probe the mysteries of nature, it figures as a mode of inquiry It is possible for all of us to emulate the working approaches of scientists in order to exercise inquiry in matters of everyday significance

Scientific Inquiry (a) science demands evidence

An outlandish claim made by a scientist can be
confirmed or rejected by observations of related phenomena Observations and measurements allow scientists to obtain accurate data Use of instruments to probe characteristics not amenable to the senses allows scientists to overcome the limitations of the senses for example, magnetic fields Significant emphasis is devoted in science to developing more powerful instruments and techniques of observations When a scientist makes a claim, it is usually checked by others working in the same field

Scientific Inquiry (b) science is a blend of logic and investigation

Coming up with a new theory or hypothesis is
not an easy task considerable thinking and imagination are often necessary A good analogy for coming up with a new theory or a hypothesis is the writing of poetry, composing of music or the design of an aircraft carrier At times, scientists stumble upon discoveries by accident or by chance Data obtained by a scientist but ignored in coming up with a theory may be analyzed by others to come up with new discoveries

Scientific Inquiry (c) science explains and predicts

Current scientific knowledge can often be used
to make sense of new observations and phenomena If a scientific finding relating to a phenomena can be used to show linkages with other phenomena, its validity is enhanced. Example: Theory of Moving Continents is able to explain linkages among unrelated phenomena such as volcanoes, earthquakes, fit between fossil types found on different continents, shapes of continents and contours of sea beds

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 evidences while de-emphasizing other kinds of evidences Example: In study of primates, emphasis by male scientists was on competitive social behavior of males. It was only when female scientists entered this field that female primates community-building behavior was discovered

Scientific Inquiry (e) Science is not authoritarian

In the annals of science, famous scientists have

been proved wrong a number of times Just because a scientist is famous does not mean that he has the monopoly of truth in a particular field No scientist believes that another scientist has the answers to all questions in a field Radical concepts that do not gel with current thinking may encounter criticisms

Scientific Enterprise
Science is a dynamic enterprise that
relates at the individual, social and institutional levels Todays society drives very much on scientific activities at various levels

Scientific Enterprise (a) Science is a complex social activity

Anyone, irrespective of ethnic, national and

gender backgrounds, can participate in science scientists, doctors, engineers, technicians, librarians, and teachers use a lot of science in their work As a social endeavor, science tends to impose values and views: for example, in the 19th century and before, restrictions were placed on the education and employment of females and thus their exclusion from most of science

Scientific Enterprise (a) Science is organized into disciplines and conducted in various institutions

Science has developed so much that it is now organized

into disciplines With science being organized into disciplines, there is an overarching schemata to provide structure for organizing research and classifying findings Disadvantage is that the natural world is multidisciplinary in its workings thus the segmentation of science does not mirror the way the world works and thus 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

Scientific Enterprise (c) There are ethical principles in the conduct of science

Scientists subscribe to a code of ethics in

their work Some of the traditions include maintaining proper records and notes, being objective, encouraging others to replicate their work, and allowing critical review of their work by other scientists When live subjects are used, proper protocols must be observed

Scientific Enterprise Scientists participate in public affairs both as scientists and citizens

With their training and habits of mind, scientists

can bring useful insights into matters of public debate and interest They can help the public to understand the possible reasons for the occurrence of an event and the implications of certain policies Some matters of public debate are just too complex, and scientists have their limitations to contribute to these discusions in a meaningful manner