D
DrRocket
Guest
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">A Perspective on Science 0</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">In the short time that I have participated in this form I have noticed that the denizens, in my opinion, are largely divided into 3 categories:</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">1) Several pretty solid scientific and technical types (from whose knowledge I have profited)</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">2) Many young eager minds with a desire to learn </span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">3) A few from the lunatic fringe.<span> </span>These people ought to have to pay for air.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Folks in category 2 may have a hard time distinguishing those in category 3 when big words and elaborate constructions are used to disguise poor science.<span> </span>While an open-minded approach and free debate are necessary for science to progress, a good scientist needs to be able to recognize a crackpot, discount his rants, and apply his attention to more promising ideas.<span> </span>He also needs to distinguish when even a good scientist is reflecting his own biases and objectives and is acting as an advocate rather than a purely objective scientist.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">If category 2 people come to recognize nothing else, I hope that they learn that science usually advances in small steps, not major revolutions, and that big ideas are not initially announced on informal bulletin boards.<span> </span>If a strong position taken on an open bulletin board seems wacky, it probably is.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">For what it is worth I intend to make a few posts, I think about 5, in an attempt to describe, based on my experience, what science is, how it is developed, some notions that might help to distinguish good science from junk science, and the proper roles for objective science and advocacy.<span> </span>My hope is that this will be of interest to and generate comments from category 1, but more importantly be a help to those in category 2 in their quest to understand science and perhaps participate in the scientific and engineering community.<span> </span>I doubt those in category 3 will gain much benefit, but I anticipate they will incur no harm not of their own making.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">I envision the posts to be elaborations of the following:</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span>I.<span style="font:7pt'TimesNewRoman'"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Science and mathematics</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span>II.<span style="font:7pt'TimesNewRoman'"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Science, engineering and complexity</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span>III.<span style="font:7pt'TimesNewRoman'"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Development of science and the role of rigor</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span>IV.<span style="font:7pt'TimesNewRoman'"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">More on complexity</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><span>V.<span style="font:7pt'TimesNewRoman'"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Science and social responsibility</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">I have in fact formulated the contents for each of these topics and am posting them simultaneously because there is some overlap in the topics and because someone wishing to comment may wish to see the totality so as to support or criticize the whole beast – whether for errors of commission or omission.<span> </span>Unfortunately these posts are bit long, but that seems to be unavoidable.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">I am putting them in the Physics Forum, since physics is, I believe, the best model for science as a whole and therefore receives the lion’s share of attention , because I think it most likely to benefit category 2 readers in that forum, and mostly because there didn’t seem to be any better place to put them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The posts will, quite obviously reflect my own biases and idiosyncrasies.<span> </span>I am sure some from category 1 will disagree with some of my views, on good grounds.<span> </span>Please make your own views known as that can only help with my ultimate goal of providing a benefit to category 2.<span> </span>I expect to also, unavoidably, hear from category 3.<span> </span>So be it.<span> </span>I think that may also support my goal.<span> </span>Those of you in category 2, please also feel free to comment and question, but most of all participate in the exercise of recognizing the category of the individual participants.<span> </span>After all, the development of that discriminatory capability is the real point.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">In the interest of allowing the community to evaluate my idiosyncrasies and biases in some context, I offer up a small window on that which has formed my personal perspective.<span> </span>I have had university education in both engineering and mathematics -- BS, MS in electrical engineering,<span> </span>Ph.D. in mathematics.<span> </span>I have taught some engineering and mathematics at 3 major universities. I have worked briefly at a technical level for a major oil refiner and a major electrical utility.<span> </span>I have spent over 24 years in aerospace and defense working with the design, analysis and manufacture of explosives, incendiaries, munitions, solid rockets, associated electrical systems and nuclear hardness at both a technical and executive level, with close association with a very fine and talented group of engineers, physicists and chemists, plus the odd mathematician (and we can be pretty odd). <span> </span>That work included dealing with large computer models involving many physical phenomena. <span> </span>In that time I have had the need and the pleasure of learning quite a bit more physics than what I covered formally in university study. <span> </span>The study of physics has proven not only professionally useful but a most engaging hobby.<span> </span>I have had the privilege to know and to work with some extraordinarily smart people in academia, industry, government and the military and to learn a great deal from them, both in the realm of science and on broader issues.<span> </span>I know that there is more that I do not know than that I do know -- much, much more. <span> </span>I have had to evaluate scientific and engineering opinions and models, determine the confidence that could placed on them and make go/no-go decisions on which depended very expensive missions and business objectives.<span> </span>I believe that my BS (not Bachelor of Science) meter is fully operational.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">And, oh yea, I retired, early, a couple of years ago so I have had the time to put this together.</span></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>