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I think you have a very good point, David, but it seems to me to be a
tangent. Let's assume we mean something specific by the word "science"
and that it is not synonymous with "truth." What is the generally
accepted meaning of the word science? Well, here's wikipedia: "Science
is a process for evaluating empirical knowledge (the scientific method)
and the organized body of knowledge gained by this process."
Most of us work in science centers (hence the name of this list). Many
of us understand that there are truths that are not part of science, or
that are not best understood or predicted scientifically. As a quick
example, there is nothing definitive that science has to say about why
painting a is more beautiful than painting b. There is nothing useful
that science has to say about the kind of speculation that you describe
below (how do I know that the world did not just begin, etc). All
those things are fine and thrilling, and some can be described as true
(I prefer painting a over painting b). None of them can be described
as science.
Or, actually, they can be described as science, but not if we want to
make "science" a useful word. Christian Science, for example, is a
challenge to the common use of the word science, but while it may be
deeply true for those who believe it, it is not science in the commonly
accepted use of the word.
So, it is a world full of different ways of understanding truth. But
if the word "science" is to be more useful in conversation than the
work "dlrnakjd" then
I'd argue that we keep its meaning pretty specific.
Have a good weekend!
Eric Siegel
Executive VP
Programs and Planning
NY Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
www.nyscience.org
On Mar 25, 2005, at 4:41 PM, David Smith wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
> ***********************************************************************
> ******
>
> Science (by which I assume we all mean European science) needs only be
> falsifiable because scientists have accepted a belief system that holds
> that as a core value. There is nothing inherently more truthful about
> a
> falsifiable explanation. This world, including us and all our
> falsifiable ideas, could have been created, memories, history, and all,
> just a few moments ago. We have no way to know if that is true or if
> the world has in fact been ticking along for 4.5 Ga. or something else
> altogether.
>
> I (and most of this list, I wager) accept the belief system that if it
> isn't falsifiable, it shouldn't be taught as science, but many
> creationists do not. You can argue all you want about the lack of
> falsifiability of Intelligent Design, but the only people you will
> convince are the people who already accept falsifiability as a valid
> value and very few, if any, of them are going to accept ID in the first
> place. You can expend a lot of energy making this argument to no end
> except to reinforce the existing dichotomy.
>
> If we just want to be clear about which side we have chosen up on in
> this intellectual color war, then we can circle the wagons, declare our
> fealty to the values of Western science and prepare to fight off
> everyone outside the circle. There is some value to this. I certainly
> don't want ID taught as a canonically scientific alternative using my
> tax dollars.
>
> If, on the other hand, we actually want to make some progress toward
> (perhaps uneasy) coexistence, then we need to step away from
> classifying
> everything rigidly as scientific or not, and begin to look at the world
> through lenses that allow for a variety of ways of gathering knowledge.
> The Amazonian shaman's incredible knowledge of tropical ecosystems and
> pharmacology is integrally interwoven with supernatural spirituality.
> We make a grave mistake when we ignore that knowledge because what we
> believe to be the medicinal effects of a plant are attributed by the
> shaman to spirits. That doesn't mean we have to throw away falsifiable
> theories as an important way to gather knowledge, but it does mean we
> have to be open to other ways as also being valid ways to gather
> knowledge and particularly as valid ways to gather knowledge about the
> natural world.
>
> In our increasingly global and interconnected society, I would like to
> argue that a very important role of the science center is to help
> broaden people's view of science beyond the canonical view.
>
> David L Smith
> Director of Professional Development
> Da Vinci DiscoveryCenter of Science and Technology
> http://www.discovery-center.org
>
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