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The Limitations of Science

The Limitations of Science. A recap of the scientific method:. Prediction Refuted. Observation. Hypothesis. Prediction. Experiment. Prediction Confirmed. Problems of observation:. Problems of Hypotheses: Confirmation Bias. Penangites are bad drivers

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The Limitations of Science

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  1. The Limitations of Science

  2. A recap of the scientific method: Prediction Refuted Observation Hypothesis Prediction Experiment Prediction Confirmed

  3. Problems of observation:

  4. Problems of Hypotheses: Confirmation Bias • Penangites are bad drivers • You notice every time you meet a bad driver in Penang • You ignore instances of good drivers • What could falsify this hypothesis? x x x x x • To what extent is it OK to dismiss the red one as ‘clearly an error’?

  5. Problems of Hypotheses: Induction • What is the best fit for the following data? x x x x x x x

  6. Problems of Hypotheses: Falsification • A theory is ‘good’ if it can be falsified but…. • How many contradictory observations are needed to reject a theory? • Why not reject the observation? • Auxillary hypotheses

  7. How does Science Advance? Normal Science Revolution Normal Science Progress Progress Revolution Smooth Progress Normal Science Revolution Normal Science Time Time

  8. Why is this a problem? • What factors do you think might influence whether you choose to switch from an old paradigm to a new paradigm? • If there is no rational way to choose between rival paradigms, does this undermine the validity of science • Does this mean that all our current science will one day be replaced with newer science?

  9. What is the purpose of a cloud? • Is this a problem?

  10. The pursuit of knowledge: • Are there any questions science can’t answer? Can these by categorised? • Are there any questions science shouldn’t answer?

  11. The Benefits of Science • On balance, has science created more problems than it has solved (i.e. do the benefits of science outweigh the costs?)?

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