This post was requested. I apologize for its possibly boring and theoretical nature.
What is science? The study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of ideas against the evidence obtained.
All scientists are united by their curiosity and most understand that what we know is not the absolute and unchangeable truth, but our current understanding of reality.
Scientist are real people, thus they often have prejudices and lack of experience. This is why research must always be subjected to peer review and duplication by other scientists before it is trustworthy.
Most children are scientists. When they start eating solid food they drop it and discover that it falls to the ground. They do it again and again, not to aggravate the adults, but to see if it happens all the time. Annoying adults is simply a side benefit.
When a toddler flips a light switch on and off, they’re testing reproducibility and their control. When they ask “Why,” they want information about the their world. From picking up leaves they see that all leaves are not the same and when they hear “Drop that filthy thing,” they learn that investigating is not done in this family.
Science is not just about fields like biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and society and acquiring information. Science requires “Critical Thinking” which is the most important skill.
Critical thinking is not a magical method for getting things right. It is a method for sorting information as useful or not useful then evaluating the useful. Is the data from a reliable source, up to date and confirmed by other authentic sources? There may be an eye witness to an event, but their comments are not evidence until other facts confirm that observation. How many people have been convicted of a crime, including murder, because one person was sure they saw him do it.
You’ve got to pay attention.
How good are your powers of observation?
“It’s easy to miss what you’re not looking for.
Gradual changes in our life are easy to miss.
Unless you are trained, pick out the perp may be hard.
Now that you are warmed up, let’s check how good a witness are you.
Is the observer believable? Who else saw the event? Are you anxious to believe questionable information because the person looks the type to commit such a horrible act? Does justice require a conviction? Do you seek additional information or is “most likely true”, close enough?
Are your sources of information objective or do they have a hidden agenda? Do they use words that cause anger and fear or provide specific facts? Which is reacting, your emotions or brain?
Are you concerned with how your judgement will appear or what comments it will receive? Critical thinking also includes the possibility that the situation remains ambiguous thus no judgement is yet possible. This is a very common experience amongst scientists who conclude that there is insufficient evidence to prove or disprove an idea. Most people are uncomfortable with ambiguity and seek an answer even if there is no evidence for it to be true.
Here’s a site for additional information on critical thinking.
And another if you are so inclined.
What’s the point of understanding how things work? Well, it makes life more interesting, but reduces the mystical. I feel more alive, see reality and occasionally gain control. When science changes its opinion, it didn’t lie to you. It just learned more.
What keeps airplanes in the air, obviously the engines. But they just move it forward, not up. What keeps it in the air is air. When an airplane goes fast enough forward, air flow over the top of the wing is faster than air flow below so there is less air pressure on top, creating a partial vacuum. So the air below the wing pushes the wing towards the vacuum–up. Air pressure pushes the plane up.
Even this explanation leaves questions.
The hidden under ground world of fungi. “Hey, what’s going on down there?” Ten years ago I had no idea that fungi were so needed by trees. Now I understand my world a little better and I like that.
