Download or read book Theory and Reality written by Peter Godfrey-Smith and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2021-07-16 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How does science work? Does it tell us what the world is “really” like? What makes it different from other ways of understanding the universe? In Theory and Reality, Peter Godfrey-Smith addresses these questions by taking the reader on a grand tour of more than a hundred years of debate about science. The result is a completely accessible introduction to the main themes of the philosophy of science. Examples and asides engage the beginning student, a glossary of terms explains key concepts, and suggestions for further reading are included at the end of each chapter. Like no other text in this field, Theory and Reality combines a survey of recent history of the philosophy of science with current key debates that any beginning scholar or critical reader can follow. The second edition is thoroughly updated and expanded by the author with a new chapter on truth, simplicity, and models in science.

Download or read book The Truth of Science written by Roger G. Newton and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's not a scientific truth that has come into question lately but the truth--the very notion of scientific truth. Bringing a reasonable voice to the culture wars that have sprung up around this notion, this book offers a clear and constructive response to those who contend, in parodies, polemics and op-ed pieces, that there really is no such thing as verifiable objective truth--without which there could be no such thing as scientific authority. A distinguished physicist with a rare gift for making the most complicated scientific ideas comprehensible, Roger Newton gives us a guided tour of the intellectual structure of physical science. From there he conducts us through the understanding of reality engendered by modern physics, the most theoretically advanced of the sciences. With its firsthand look at models, facts, and theories, intuition and imagination, the use of analogies and metaphors, the importance of mathematics (and now, computers), and the "virtual" reality of the physics of micro-particles, The Truth of Science truly is a practicing scientist's account of the foundations, processes, and value of science. To claims that science is a social construction, Newton answers with the working scientist's credo: "A body of assertions is true if it forms a coherent whole and works both in the external world and in our minds." The truth of science, for Newton, is nothing more or less than a relentless questioning of authority combined with a relentless striving for objectivity in the full awareness that the process never ends. With its lucid exposition of the ideals, methods, and goals of science, his book performs a great feat in service of this truth.

Download or read book What is Science written by Jordanka Zlatanova and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-02-24 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a multitude of ways, science affects the life of almost every person on earth. From medicine and nutrition to communication and transportation, the products of scientific research have changed human life. These changes have mostly taken place in the last two centuries, so rapidly that the average person is unable to keep informed. A consequence of this "information gap" has been the increasing suspicion of science and scientists. The lack of true understanding of science, especially of "fundamental" research, motivates this effort to narrow this gap by explaining scientific endeavor and the data-driven worldviews of scientists. Key Features Fills an existing void in the understanding of science among the general population Is written in a nontechnical language to facilitate understanding Covers a wide range of science-related subjects: The value of "basic research" How scientists work by sharing results and ideas How science is funded by governments and private entities Addresses the possible dangers of research and how society deals with such risks Expresses the viewpoint of an author with extensive experience working in laboratories all over the world

Download or read book Reason and Reality written by John Polkinghorne and published by SPCK Classics. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by perhaps the world's foremost authority on the relationship between science and theology, Reason and Reality brings together essays in which John Polkinghorne pursues more deeply themes touched on in his earlier works. The result is a deeply satisfying interpretation of the nature and scope of human knowledge, the extent and limits of science, and the proper place of theology as what Polkinghorne calls science's "cousin under the skin"

Download or read book Science God and the Nature of Reality written by Sarah S. Knox and published by Universal-Publishers. This book was released on 2010 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This philosophy of science book is written by a biomedical scientist for a lay audience but is well-referenced for use by scientific readers and college course curricula. Its thesis is that the current paradigm in the biological and medical sciences, which is responsible for rejecting the existence of a Divine Being, is outdated. There is no factual basis for creating a dichotomy between evolution and Divine Design. Misconceptions about the nature of reality, i.e., the belief that matter is the ultimate cause of everything we think, feel, say, and do, have made it easy to ignore data demonstrating an important biological role for the energetic aspects of matter and to leave the question of the existence of a Divine being to the purview of philosophy and religion. The author uses extensive scientific data to highlight the inconsistencies in current theories and relates her personal journey in trying to explain her observations with purely mechanistic theories. Her ultimate conclusion is that the existence or non-existence of God can no longer be ignored by scientists. It is one of the most important scientific questions there is and like many other issues that were formally relegated to the domain of philosophy, can and should be investigated by modern science.

Download or read book Science and Ultimate Reality written by John D. Barrow and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2004-04-22 with total page 756 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides a fascinating snapshot of the future of physics, covering fundamental physics, at the frontiers of research. It comprises a wide variety of contributions from leading thinkers in the field, inspired by the pioneering work of John A. Wheeler. Quantum theory represents a unifying theme within the book, along with topics such as the nature of physical reality, the arrow of time, models of the universe, superstrings, gravitational radiation, quantum gravity and cosmic inflation. Attempts to formulate a final unification of physics are discussed, along with the existence of hidden dimensions of space, space-time singularities, hidden cosmic matter, and the strange world of quantum technology.

Download or read book Science Religion and Reality written by Joseph Needham and published by . This book was released on 1925 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Science Business written by Gary P. Pisano and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why has the biotechnology industry failed to perform up to expectations? This book attempts to answer this question by providing a critique of the industry. It reveals the causes of biotech's problems and offers an analysis on how the industry works. It also provides prescriptions for companies, seeking ways to improve the industry's performance.

Download or read book Science and the Quest for Reality written by Alfred I. Tauber and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science and the Quest for Reality is an interdisciplinary anthology that situates contemporary science within its complex philosophical, historical, and sociological contexts. The anthology is divided between, firstly, characterizing science as an intellectual activity and, secondly, defining its social role. The philosophical and historical vicissitudes of science's truth claims has raised profound questions concerning the role of science in society beyond its technological innovations. The deeper philosophical issues thus complement the critical inquiry concerning the broader social and ethical influence of contemporary science. In the tradition of the 'Main Trends of the Modern World' series, this volume includes both classical and contemporary works on the subject.

Download or read book Theoretical Virtues in Science written by Samuel Schindler and published by . This book was released on 2018-05-24 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In-depth discussion of the value of scientific theories, bringing together and advancing current important debates in realism.

Download or read book Science Action and Reality written by R. Tuomela and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Were one to characterize the aims of this book ambitiously, it could be said to sketch the philosophical foundations or underpinnings of the scientific world view or, better, of the scientific conception of the world. In any case, it develops a comprehensive philosophical view, one which takes science seri ously as the best method for getting to know the ontological aspects of the world. This view is a kind of scientific realism - causal internal realism, as it is dubbed in the book. This brand of realism is "tough" in matters of ontology but "soft" in matters of semantics and epistemology. An ancestor of the book was published in Finnish under the title Tiede, toiminta ja todellisuus (Gaudeamus, 1983). That book is a shortish undergraduate-level monograph. However, as some research-level chapters have been added, the present book is perhaps best regarded as suited for more advanced readers. I completed the book while my stay at the University of Wisconsin in Madison as a Visiting Professor under the Exchange Program between the Universities of Wisconsin and Helsinki. I gratefully acknowledge this support. I also wish to thank Juhani Saalo and Martti Kuokkanen for comments on the manuscript and for editorial help. Dr Matti Sintonen translated the Finnish ancestor of this book into English, to be used as a partial basis for this work. His translation was supported by a grant from Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden edistamisvarat. Finally, and as usual, I wish to thank Mrs.

Download or read book Lawless Universe written by Joe Rosen and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2010-08 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thought-provoking and controversial, Lawless Universe is a complement to, even an antidote for, books that create the misimpression that science can explain everything.

Download or read book Science and the Trinity written by John Polkinghorne and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2008-10-01 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most often, the dialogue between religion and science is initiated by the discoveries of modern science—big bang cosmology, evolution, or quantum theory, for example. In this book, scientist-theologian John Polkinghorne changes the discussion. He approaches the dialogue from a little-explored perspective in which theology shapes the argument and sets the agenda of questions to be considered. The author begins with a review of approaches to science and religion in which the classification focuses on theological content rather than on methodological technique. He then proceeds with chapters discussing the role of Scripture, a theology of nature, the doctrine of God, sacramental theology, and eschatology. Throughout, Polkinghorne takes the perspective of Trinitarian thinking while arguing in a style that reflects the influence of his career as a theoretical physicist. In the final chapter, the author defends the appropriateness of addressing issues of science and religion from the specific standpoint of his Christian belief. His book provides an important model for theologians and scientists alike, showing how their two fields can inform one another in significant ways.

Download or read book Science Reason and Reality written by Daniel Rothbart and published by Cengage Learning. This book was released on 1998 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Highlighting the work of the most prominent and influential scholars in the field, the articles reflect a diversity of philosophical opinion and demonstrate to students how each position is subject to constructive criticism and how this criticism motivates alternative positions.

Download or read book Haphazard Reality Half a Century of Science written by Hendrik B.G. Casimir and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2020-09-23 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An outstanding scientific autobiography... I remain impressed by its thoughtfulness and charm.” — Steve K. Lamoreaux, American Journal of Physics “[A] rich autobiography and history-of-atomic-physics... One is impressed by Casimir’s memory for detail and zeal to find corroboration for the stories he tells. And they are splendid tales: Gamow’s playful pranks in Copenhagen: conversations with Lev Landau, ardent revolutionary but no Marxist; the tragedy of Ehrenfest, who killed himself after shooting his hopelessly retarded son... A charming, idiosyncratic, and meaningful account of events and personalities that changed physics.” — Kirkus “I myself read [this book] with fascination, meeting old friends such as Gamow, Landau, Kramers, and learning much more about them... Also in the book are character sketches of those who made physics in the Netherlands such as Lorentz, Kamerlingh Onnes and Ehrenfest, the latter remembered with the greatest affection by the author.” — Sir Nevill Mott, Contemporary Physics “The book... contains a valuable, entertaining and insightful collection of vignettes of many of the physicists Casimir has associated with[,]... Lorentz, Ehrenfest, Bohr, Pauli, with whom he studied; Goudsmit, Uhlenbeck, Landau, Gamov, members of his own generation; Kramers, Gorter, de Haas, colleagues in Dutch academic circles; Holst and Loupart, colleagues at the Philips Laboratories. Haphazard Reality also offers valuable insights into Dutch middle class culture and a rewarding overview of Dutch educational and scientific establishments... Casimir is a master at deftly and sensitively conveying the psychological ambiance of his surroundings. His description of the brilliant young theoretical physicists around Bohr in the early thirties conveys not only the style of doing physics but also delineates the issues addressed by outlining the content of their researches.” — S. S. Schweber, 4S Review “Engaging reminiscences by an important Dutch physicist of conversations with the major contributors to 20th-century physics. An overly modest, but otherwise balanced account of his own experiences and contributions from his early years at Leiden to his directorship of the Philips Laboratory.” — The Antioch Review “Haphazard Reality paints a vivid and insightful picture of the development of modern physics.” — Steve K. Lamoreaux, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society

Download or read book Webs of Reality written by William Austin Stahl and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science and religion are often thought to be advancing irreconcilable goals and thus to be mutually antagonistic. Yet in the often acrimonious debates between the scientific and religions communities, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that both science and religion are systems of thought and knowledge that aim to understand the world and our place in it. Webs of Reality is a rare examination of the interrelationship between religion and science from a social science perspective, offering a broader view of the relationship, and posing practical questions regarding technology and ethics. Emphasizing how science and religion are practiced instead of highlighting the differences between them, the authors look for the subtle connections, tacit understandings, common history, symbols, and implicit myths that tie them together. How can the practice of science be understood from a religious point of view? What contributions can science make to religious understanding of the world? What contributions can the social sciences make to understanding both knowledge systems? Looking at religion and science as fields of inquiry and habits of mind, the authors discover not only similarities between them but also a wide number of ways in which they complement each other.

Download or read book The Knowledge Machine How Irrationality Created Modern Science written by Michael Strevens and published by Liveright Publishing. This book was released on 2020-10-13 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The Knowledge Machine is the most stunningly illuminating book of the last several decades regarding the all-important scientific enterprise.” —Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex A paradigm-shifting work, The Knowledge Machine revolutionizes our understanding of the origins and structure of science. • Why is science so powerful? • Why did it take so long—two thousand years after the invention of philosophy and mathematics—for the human race to start using science to learn the secrets of the universe? In a groundbreaking work that blends science, philosophy, and history, leading philosopher of science Michael Strevens answers these challenging questions, showing how science came about only once thinkers stumbled upon the astonishing idea that scientific breakthroughs could be accomplished by breaking the rules of logical argument. Like such classic works as Karl Popper’s The Logic of Scientific Discovery and Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, The Knowledge Machine grapples with the meaning and origins of science, using a plethora of vivid historical examples to demonstrate that scientists willfully ignore religion, theoretical beauty, and even philosophy to embrace a constricted code of argument whose very narrowness channels unprecedented energy into empirical observation and experimentation. Strevens calls this scientific code the iron rule of explanation, and reveals the way in which the rule, precisely because it is unreasonably close-minded, overcomes individual prejudices to lead humanity inexorably toward the secrets of nature. “With a mixture of philosophical and historical argument, and written in an engrossing style” (Alan Ryan), The Knowledge Machine provides captivating portraits of some of the greatest luminaries in science’s history, including Isaac Newton, the chief architect of modern science and its foundational theories of motion and gravitation; William Whewell, perhaps the greatest philosopher-scientist of the early nineteenth century; and Murray Gell-Mann, discoverer of the quark. Today, Strevens argues, in the face of threats from a changing climate and global pandemics, the idiosyncratic but highly effective scientific knowledge machine must be protected from politicians, commercial interests, and even scientists themselves who seek to open it up, to make it less narrow and more rational—and thus to undermine its devotedly empirical search for truth. Rich with illuminating and often delightfully quirky illustrations, The Knowledge Machine, written in a winningly accessible style that belies the import of its revisionist and groundbreaking concepts, radically reframes much of what we thought we knew about the origins of the modern world.