Download or read book Are Science And Mathematics Socially Constructed A Mathematician Encounters Postmodern Interpretations Of Science written by Richard C Brown and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2009-02-19 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a history, analysis, and criticism of what the author calls “postmodern interpretations of science” (PIS) and the closely related “sociology of scientific knowledge” (SSK). This movement traces its origin to Thomas Kuhn's revolutionary work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), but is more extreme. It believes that science is a “social construction”, having little to do with nature, and is determined by contextual forces such as the race, class, gender of the scientist, laboratory politics, or the needs of the military industrial complex.Since the 1970s, PIS has become fashionable in the humanities, social sciences, and ethnic or women's studies, as well as in the new academic discipline of Science, Technology, and Society (STS). It has been attacked by numerous authors and the resulting conflicts led to the so-called Science Wars of the 1990s. While the present book is also critical of PIS, it focuses on its intellectual and political origins and tries to understand why it became influential in the 1970s. The book is both an intellectual and a political history. It examines the thoughts of Karl Popper, Karl Mannheim, Ludwik Fleck, Thomas Kuhn, Paul Feyerabend, David Bloor, Steve Woolgar, Steve Shapin, Bruno Latour, and PIS-like doctrines in mathematics. It also describes various philosophical contributions to PIS ranging from the Greek sophists to 20th century post-structuralists and argues that the disturbed political atmosphere of the Vietnam War era was critical to the rise of PIS.
Download or read book Making 20th Century Science written by Stephen G. Brush and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 553 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historically, the scientific method has been said to require proposing a theory, making a prediction of something not already known, testing the prediction, and giving up the theory (or substantially changing it) if it fails the test. A theory that leads to several successful predictions is more likely to be accepted than one that only explains what is already known but not understood. This process is widely treated as the conventional method of achieving scientific progress, and was used throughout the twentieth century as the standard route to discovery and experimentation. But does science really work this way? In Making 20th Century Science, Stephen G. Brush discusses this question, as it relates to the development of science throughout the last century. Answering this question requires both a philosophically and historically scientific approach, and Brush blends the two in order to take a close look at how scientific methodology has developed. Several cases from the history of modern physical and biological science are examined, including Mendeleev's Periodic Law, Kekule's structure for benzene, the light-quantum hypothesis, quantum mechanics, chromosome theory, and natural selection. In general it is found that theories are accepted for a combination of successful predictions and better explanations of old facts. Making 20th Century Science is a large-scale historical look at the implementation of the scientific method, and how scientific theories come to be accepted.
Download or read book Through the Mirrors of Science written by Francesco Coniglione and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2013-05-02 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is the objective that the European Union set itself in 2000, that is, to be «the most competitive knowledge-based society and economy» by 2010 still realistic? The momentous year has arrived, but it is discouraging to note that very few steps have been made in the direction that was fixed. What has gone wrong? Were the philosophical, epistemological and economic conditions adequate to achieve the desired result? This book – the result of a research project commissioned by the European Commission – critically investigates the society of knowledge and the way in which the European Union has proceeded towards it, examining first of all the premises and the contributions that the disciplines of Science and Technological Studies can provide. In this way, we have proposed innovative theoretical and epistemological bases for a multidisciplinary approach – making use of the Modelling Approach to Science – and therefore insisting on the function that human sciences can have for a society of knowledge that hinges not so much on an industrialist scenario, but a humanist one that eschews hyper-specialization and instead privileges creativity, flexibility, imagination and innovation economy.
Download or read book Three Plays of Maureen Hunter written by Hunter, Maureen and published by OIBooks-Libros. This book was released on 2003 with total page 944 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Book is clean and tight. No writing in text. Like New
Download or read book Proof and Proving in Mathematics Education written by Gila Hanna and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-06-14 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AS OPEN ACCESS BOOK ON SPRINGERLINK* One of the most significant tasks facing mathematics educators is to understand the role of mathematical reasoning and proving in mathematics teaching, so that its presence in instruction can be enhanced. This challenge has been given even greater importance by the assignment to proof of a more prominent place in the mathematics curriculum at all levels. Along with this renewed emphasis, there has been an upsurge in research on the teaching and learning of proof at all grade levels, leading to a re-examination of the role of proof in the curriculum and of its relation to other forms of explanation, illustration and justification. This book, resulting from the 19th ICMI Study, brings together a variety of viewpoints on issues such as: The potential role of reasoning and proof in deepening mathematical understanding in the classroom as it does in mathematical practice. The developmental nature of mathematical reasoning and proof in teaching and learning from the earliest grades. The development of suitable curriculum materials and teacher education programs to support the teaching of proof and proving. The book considers proof and proving as complex but foundational in mathematics. Through the systematic examination of recent research this volume offers new ideas aimed at enhancing the place of proof and proving in our classrooms.
Download or read book Data Science in Practice written by Alan Said and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-19 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book approaches big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and business intelligence through the lens of Data Science. We have grown accustomed to seeing these terms mentioned time and time again in the mainstream media. However, our understanding of what they actually mean often remains limited. This book provides a general overview of the terms and approaches used broadly in data science, and provides detailed information on the underlying theories, models, and application scenarios. Divided into three main parts, it addresses what data science is; how and where it is used; and how it can be implemented using modern open source software. The book offers an essential guide to modern data science for all students, practitioners, developers and managers seeking a deeper understanding of how various aspects of data science work, and of how they can be employed to gain a competitive advantage.
Download or read book Natural Philosophy written by Paul Thagard and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-31 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul Thagard uses new accounts of brain mechanisms and social interactions to forge theories of mind, knowledge, reality, morality, justice, meaning, and the arts. Natural Philosophy brings new methods for analyzing concepts, understanding values, and achieving coherence. It shows how to unify the humanities with the cognitive and social sciences. How can people know what is real and strive to make the world better? Philosophy is the attempt to answer general questions about the nature of knowledge, reality, and values. Natural Philosophy pursues these questions by drawing heavily on the sciences and finds no room for supernatural entities such as souls, gods, and possible worlds. It provides original accounts of the traditional branches of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics. Rather than reducing the humanities to the sciences, this book displays fertile interconnections that show that philosophical questions and artistic practices can be much better understood by considering how human brains operate and interact in social contexts. The sciences and the humanities are interdependent, because both the natural and social sciences cannot avoid questions about methods and values that are primarily the province of philosophy. This book belongs to a trio that includes Brain-Mind: From Neurons to Consciousness and Creativity and Mind-Society: From Brains to Social Sciences and Professions. They can be read independently, but together they make up a Treatise on Mind and Society that provides a unified and comprehensive treatment of the cognitive sciences, social sciences, professions, and humanities.
Download or read book Data Scientist Diploma master s level City of London College of Economics 6 months 100 online self paced written by City of London College of Economics and published by City of London College of Economics. This book was released on with total page 2653 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Overview This diploma course covers all aspects you need to know to become a successful Data Scientist. Content - Getting Started with Data Science - Data Analytic Thinking - Business Problems and Data Science Solutions - Introduction to Predictive Modeling: From Correlation to Supervised Segmentation - Fitting a Model to Data - Overfitting and Its Avoidance - Similarity, Neighbors, and Clusters Decision Analytic Thinking I: What Is a Good Model? - Visualizing Model Performance - Evidence and Probabilities - Representing and Mining Text - Decision Analytic Thinking II: Toward Analytical Engineering - Other Data Science Tasks and Techniques - Data Science and Business Strategy - Machine Learning: Learning from Data with Your Machine. - And much more Duration 6 months Assessment The assessment will take place on the basis of one assignment at the end of the course. Tell us when you feel ready to take the exam and we’ll send you the assignment questions. Study material The study material will be provided in separate files by email / download link.
Download or read book Choice written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 594 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Mathematics and the Roots of Postmodern Thought written by Vladimir Tasic and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2001-08-06 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a charming and insightful contribution to an understanding of the "Science Wars" between postmodernist humanism and science, driving toward a resolution of the mutual misunderstanding that has driven the controversy. It traces the root of postmodern theory to a debate on the foundations of mathematics early in the 20th century, then compares developments in mathematics to what took place in the arts and humanities, discussing issues as diverse as literary theory, arts, and artificial intelligence. This is a straightforward, easily understood presentation of what can be difficult theoretical concepts It demonstrates that a pattern of misreading mathematics can be seen both on the part of science and on the part of postmodern thinking. This is a humorous, playful yet deeply serious look at the intellectual foundations of mathematics for those in the humanities and the perfect critical introduction to the bases of modernism and postmodernism for those in the sciences.
Download or read book Readings in Mathematical Social Science written by Paul Felix Lazarsfeld and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Mathematics and the Roots of Postmodern Thought written by Vladimir Tasić and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2001 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1. Introduction. 2. Around the Cartesian Circuit. 2.1. Imagination. 2.2. Intuition. 2.3. Counting to One. 3. Space Oddity and Linguistic Turn. 4. Wound of Language. 4.1. Being and Time Continuum. 4.2. Language and Will. 5. Beyond the Code. 5.1. Medium of Free Becoming. 5.2. Nonpresence of Identity. 6. The Expired Subject. 6.1. Empire of Signs. 6.2. Mechanical Bride. 7. The Vanishing Author. 8. Say Hello to the Structure Bubble. 8.1. Algebra of Language. 8.2. Functionalism Chic. 9. Don't Think, Look. 9.1. Interpolating the Self. 9.2. Language Games. 9.3. Thermostats "R" Us. 10. Postmo.
Download or read book Postmodern Philosophy and the Scientific Turn written by Dorothea Olkowski and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-23 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can come of a scientific engagement with postmodern philosophy? Some scientists have claimed that the social sciences and humanities have nothing to contribute, except perhaps peripherally, to their research. Dorothea E. Olkowski shows that the historic link between science and philosophy, mathematics itself, plays a fundamental role in the development of the worldviews that drive both fields. Focusing on language, its expression of worldview and usage, she develops a phenomenological account of human thought and action to explicate the role of philosophy in the sciences. Olkowski proposes a model of phenomenology, both scientific and philosophical, that helps make sense of reality and composes an ethics for dealing with unpredictability in our world.
Download or read book For the Learning of Mathematics written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Fashionable Nonsense written by Alan Sokal and published by Picador. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1996 physicist Alan Sokal published an essay in Social Text--an influential academic journal of cultural studies--touting the deep similarities between quantum gravitational theory and postmodern philosophy. Soon thereafter, the essay was revealed as a brilliant parody, a catalog of nonsense written in the cutting-edge but impenetrable lingo of postmodern theorists. The event sparked a furious debate in academic circles and made the headlines of newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. In Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern Intellectuals' Abuse of Science, Sokal and his fellow physicist Jean Bricmont expand from where the hoax left off. In a delightfully witty and clear voice, the two thoughtfully and thoroughly dismantle the pseudo-scientific writings of some of the most fashionable French and American intellectuals. More generally, they challenge the widespread notion that scientific theories are mere "narrations" or social constructions.
Download or read book Thinking like a Mall written by Steven Vogel and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2016-09-02 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A provocative argument that environmental thinking would be better off if it dropped the concept of “nature” altogether and spoke instead of the built environment. Environmentalism, in theory and practice, is concerned with protecting nature. But if we have now reached “the end of nature,” as Bill McKibben and other environmental thinkers have declared, what is there left to protect? In Thinking like a Mall, Steven Vogel argues that environmental thinking would be better off if it dropped the concept of “nature” altogether and spoke instead of the “environment”—that is, the world that actually surrounds us, which is always a built world, the only one that we inhabit. We need to think not so much like a mountain (as Aldo Leopold urged) as like a mall. Shopping malls, too, are part of the environment and deserve as much serious consideration from environmental thinkers as do mountains. Vogel argues provocatively that environmental philosophy, in its ethics, should no longer draw a distinction between the natural and the artificial and, in its politics, should abandon the idea that something beyond human practices (such as “nature”) can serve as a standard determining what those practices ought to be. The appeal to nature distinct from the built environment, he contends, may be not merely unhelpful to environmental thinking but in itself harmful to that thinking. The question for environmental philosophy is not “how can we save nature?” but rather “what environment should we inhabit, and what practices should we engage in to help build it?”
Download or read book Higher Superstition written by Paul R. Gross and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 1997-12-03 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The widely acclaimed response to the postmodernists attacks on science, with a new afterword. With the emergence of "cultural studies" and the blurring of once-clear academic boundaries, scholars are turning to subjects far outside their traditional disciplines and areas of expertise. In Higher Superstition scientists Paul Gross and Norman Levitt raise serious questions about the growing criticism of science by humanists and social scientists on the "academic left." This edition of Higher Superstition includes a new afterword by the authors.