ESS104H1 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes -
ESS104H1
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Why Study Controversies
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
4:13 PM
Notes by 2 science philosophers:
!
Karl popper (1902-1994)
• Most useful hypothesis = one we try to falsify
• Imaginitive preconception, bias and creativity are important
Compare T.C Chamberlin and Popper
!
Thomas Kuhn (1922-1995)
• Scientific revolution = established theory failing because of new observations
• Paradigm shifts
• Non cumulative development episodes
!
Classifiying Scientists:
!Baconian = amateur
• francis bacon philosopher
• explore universe find what needs to be explained
• experiment freely collect facts , accumulation of facts would expalin
Caresian = professional
• Rene descartes philospher
• Not all experimentation should be theory
• Pure reason
• Mathematics and excisiting knowledge
• Experiments not that important should just verify that logic is correct
!
Inductive reasoning
• Initial observations allows you to recognize patterns
• Charles darwin and observations = finchs
Deductive reasoning
• Standard scientific method where a resercher starts with a wide theory and
generetes a testable hypothesis
• Designs experiment to observe results
• JJ Thompson cathode ray experiment
!
Theorists: Einstein, Teller, Feynman
Experimenters: Rutherford, Weber
!
• Sceince has become more remote and abstract
• So highly specialized it fails to communicate with everyone
• This makes collaboration between theoretical and experimenters tough
!
Thought process in modern scince: go back to slide
!
Sample Controversy:! Blackett Vs. Bullard
!
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Blackett: magnetic field at earth because of rotation, tested theory in lab, consequence found
that field becomes weaker as one moves deeper into the earth, magtometer wasn’t strong
enough theory not proved or disproven
!
Bullard: Earths magnetic filed exists because of liquid core , modeled using best computers,
consequence found field should become stronger as we go deeper
!
• Printing press very important to scientific revolution
• 14th-17th century= renesaince in europ, hummanist thinking lead to more
scientifc thinking
• Re awakaned interets in humans and our world rather than theology
• Explorers and colonization- christopher colombus- desire to learn
!The Ancients
Monday, September 19, 2016
5:55 PM
Ancient astronomy (heavily mixed with astrology)
• In the East – ‘Baconian’
• In the West – ‘Cartesian’
• Ptolemy [90 AD ‐ 168 AD] ‐ elaborate theoretical
universe geocentric (earth‐centric), clockwork
machinery of cycles and epicycles determining
how heavenly bodies should move
• Neither could move forward in the absence of the
other!
!
The Roman Republic & Empire
• From 8th Century BC
• Roman Empire ‐ autocratic form of
government and large territorial holdings
around the Mediterranean in Europe, Africa,
and Asia
• Julius Caesar was appointed as perpetual
dictator of the Roman Empire (44 BC)
• Vast extent, long endurance; profound and
lasting influence on the development of
language, religion, architecture, philosophy,
law, and forms of government
!
Ancient Philosophers
!
Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC)
• Classical Greek Athenian
philosopher.
• Credited as one of the
founders of Western
philosophy
• Has become renowned for
his contribution to the field
of ethics
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Most useful hypothesis = one we try to falsify. Scienti c revolution = established theory failing because of new observations. Baconian = amateur francis bacon philosopher explore universe nd what needs to be explained experiment freely collect facts , accumulation of facts would expalin. Experiments not that important should just verify that logic is correct. Standard scienti c method where a resercher starts with a wide theory and generetes a testable hypothesis. So highly specialized it fails to communicate with everyone. This makes collaboration between theoretical and experimenters tough. Thought process in modern scince: go back to slide. Blackett: magnetic eld at earth because of rotation, tested theory in lab, consequence found that eld becomes weaker as one moves deeper into the earth, magtometer wasn"t strong enough theory not proved or disproven. Bullard: earths magnetic led exists because of liquid core , modeled using best computers, consequence found eld should become stronger as we go deeper.
