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Essay on Science:- 1. Meaning and Definitions of Science 2. Scope of Science 3. Nature of Science 4. Physical Science 5. Science and Social Environment 6. Science and Technology 7. Science and Society 8. Scientific Method and Its Steps.
Contents:
- Essay on the Meaning and Definitions of Science
- Essay on the Scope of Science
- Essay on the Nature of Science
- Essay on Physical Science
- Essay on Science and Social Environment
- Essay on Science and Technology
- Essay on Science and Society
- Essay on Scientific Method and Its Steps
Essay # 1. Meaning and Definitions of Science:
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Meaning of Science:
The English word Science is derived from a Latin Verb ‘Scire’, which means ‘to know’ and Latin Noun ‘Scientia’ which means ‘knowledge’. Meaning of Science is based on German word ‘ Wissenchaft’, which means systematic, organized knowledge. Thus, Science is a systematized knowledge.
The necessity and curiosity of man to know about himself and his surroundings has led him to investigate, find and to know about living beings and nature, which to verifiable knowledge of facts. But Science is not always about the collection of facts or development of new concepts or ideas. It is all about the passion for the discovery that drives one to explore the environment and the nature in every aspect.
Science is basically founded to investigate the nature and its processes. Although there are a number of other methods that can be utilized to acquire the knowledge about nature, but science is considered as the only one that results in the acquisition of reliable knowledge. Hence, Rene Descartes said, “Science is a method of investigating nature that discovers reliable knowledge about it.”
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Science is the investigation of unknown phenomena and it also looks and compares with existing principles, theories and practices. Science is both a particular kind of activity and also the result of that activity. Science uses tools like observation, measurement and scientific experimentation and is entirely based on the observable facts.
Science is observation, identification, description, experimentation, investigation and theoretical explanation of the phenomenon that occur in nature.
Science could be described as the study, which attempts to perceive and understand the nature of the universe both living and non-living in its part and as a whole.
During early times people perceived Science, as what the scientist does. There are many definitions available, though not a single definition could be universally accepted.
Some of the definitions are mentioned here to understand it from different angles:
1. According to Columbian Dictionary:
“Science is an accumulated and systematized learning in general usage restricted to natural phenomenon”.
2. Einstein (1879-1955):
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“Science is an attempt to make the chaotic diversity of our sense experience corresponds to logically uniform system of thought”.
3. Fitzpatrick (1960):
“Science is a cumulative and endless series of empirical observations, which results in the formation of concepts and theories, with both concepts and theories being subject to modification in the light of further empirical observations. Science is both a body of knowledge and the process of acquiring it”.
4. Bronowski, J. (1956):
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“Science as the organization of our knowledge in such a way that it commands or makes possible the explanation of more of the hidden potentialities found in the environment”.
5. Conant (1957):
“An interconnected series of concepts and conceptual schemes that have developed as a result of experimentation and observation and are fruitful of further experimentation and observation”.
6. Fisher (1975):
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“Science is the body of Knowledge obtained by methods, based upon observation”.
The above definitions clearly reveal that Science is both a process and product. A comprehensive definition of Science would be “science is a systematized knowledge gained through human observation and experimentation of cause revealing the unknown phenomenon of nature and universe both living and non-living involving the process of critical, creative thinking and investigation including sometimes sudden insights too.”
Science = Process + Product
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= Scientific Method + Scientific Attitude + Scientific Knowledge
Essay # 2. Scope of Science
:
Science is a body of knowledge obtained by methods based upon observation. Observation is authentic and that it is only through the senses of man that observations can be made. Thus, anything outside the limits of man’s senses is outside the limits of science. In other words, science deals with the universe and galaxies in the forms of matter and energy which is in the form of living and non-living.
Science employs a number of instruments to extend mail’s senses to the extremely minute to very vast, to the short-time duration or long-time duration, to dilute or to concentrate and so on and so forth which does not alter the conclusion that science is limited to that which is observable.
Thus, as in any other discipline contemporary experimental techniques set up some practical limitations but these are not to be confused with the intrinsic limitations inherent in the very nature of science. The knowledge of science is tested and retested and also reinvented.
Today the disciplines of Science and Social Sciences are drawing into each other. Behavioural zoologists study the sociology and psychology of animals. Archaeologists derive new insights from the rapid advances in chemical and physical analysis. Hence sciences should be understood with interdisciplinary approach within science as a whole. Biology draws on chemistry, physics and geology.
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Essay # 3. Nature of Science:
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Human by birth has quest for knowledge as they are curious of knowing about nature. They have a highly developed brain because of which they can observe precisely, correlate observations and predict future happenings on the basis of their observation. This ability helped humans to adjust to nature. The process of observing, describing, exploring and using the physical world is science.
Science has certain characteristics which distinguish it from other spheres of human endeavour.
These characteristics define the nature of science as discussed below:
Science is a Particular way of Looking at Nature:
1. Science is a way of learning about what the nature is, how the nature behaves and how the nature got to be the way it is.
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2. Science focuses exclusively on the nature.
3. It is not simply a collection of facts; rather it is a path to understand the phenomenon underlying.
(i) Science is, just the nature existing around you.
(ii) Every day we look at the rising sun and pay great respect to it for bestowing the earth with its light in energy form.
(iii) The knowledge of all that is in the universe from the tiniest subatomic particles in an atom to universe and galaxies.
Science as a Rapidly Expanding Body of Knowledge:
1. Science is the dynamic, ever expanding knowledge, covering every new domain of experiences.
2. Knowledge refers to the product of science, such as the concepts and explanations.
3. Research being carried out in the field of science resulted in developing more knowledge at a faster pace sometimes by replacing old concepts, ideas or principles.
The technological developments that took place in recent times enhanced the acceleration of knowledge.
Science as an Interdisciplinary Area of Learning:
1. In the last two decades there have been studies claiming that science is becoming even more an interdisciplinary area of learning.
2. Science cannot be taught in isolation. All the branches of science are interdependent upon all other and there are a number of facts and principles which are common to various science subjects.
3. Knowledge started expanding day by day; scientists started specialising in certain areas. Hence the knowledge has been organized for convenience into different disciplines.
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biological and information sciences (including ecology, biology, physics, chemistry, zoology, mineralogy, oceanology, limnology, soil science, geology of atomospheric science and geodesy).
Science as a Truly International Enterprise:
1. International collaboration in most of the projects is the order of the day.
2. In collaborative research, visibility among the peer and active exploitation of complementary capabilities increase.
3. Share the costs of the projects that are large in scale and scope.
4. Able to access expensive physical resources.
5. Exchange ideas in order to encourage greater creativity.
The large Hadron collides; at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has been build up by scientists drawn from many countries including India. The experiment on this machine is being conducted by scientists from many countries including many Indian scientists. In this sense, science do not belong to any single country or a group of countries and it would be morally and ethically wrong to deny the fruits of scientific development to any country in the world.
Scientific models are always being questioned. Up-and-coming scientists always find gaps or errors in existing scientific models and develop a new one in place of them. In scientific field models have been tested and refined to such an extent that errors are likely to be minor. The real evidences need to be scrutinized carefully.
Marine researchers have expressed concern about the effect of global warming on the future of coral reefs because increasing sea temperature cause coral bleaching. Bleaching happens; the corals expel the algae that live within their cells die, when temperature rises. Recent research have tentatively showed that some algae may be able to adapt to temperature rises, consequently improved the chances that corals can survive.
Tentative Nature of Scientific Theories:
1. Scientific theories took decades in their development.
2. When two competing theories explain their observations related to a certain phenomenon, Scientists prefer to accept a theory which explains larger number of observations with few assumptions.
There was a time when both the geocentric and the heliocentric theories explained all the planetary observations. However geocentric theory had to introduce a new assumption every time. On the other hand, the heliocentric theory with just one assumption that all the planets revolve round the sun, it explained every available observation and eventually survived.
The fact remains that scientific theories are tentative and are always subject to change.
“In science, keeping an open mind is a virtue just not so open that your brains fall out”-James Oberg.
1. Skepticism does not mean doubting the validity of everything, rather to judge the validity of a claim based on objective empirical evidences.
2. David Hume, the 18th century philosopher viewed that we should accept nothing as true unless the evidences available makes the non-existence of the thing more miraculous than its existence.
3. We examine the available evidences before reaching a decision until sufficient evidences are found.
Scientists are Highly Skeptic People:
‘Science is what scientists do’.
1. The scientists in different fields try to describe the phenomena in nature and establish their relationships.
2. After having described the phenomena, scientists attempt to find out the reason behind and make predictions.
3. Scientists use ideas of their own and of others as tools for testing and gaining knowledge. They use many resources to get valid answers to their questions and problems, by designing their own experiments and invent new tools with which they observe and check different phenomena. Hence, scientists are highly skeptic people.
For instances, if we look at Newton’s story the way he was inspired to formulate his theory of gravitation by watching the fall of an apple from a tree speaks his skeptic nature. Though many scientists and other common men were aware that all the objects descend perpendicularly to the ground, they never pondered upon it. This incident prompted Newton to explore the possibility of connecting gravity with the force that kept the moon on its orbit. This led him to the universal law of gravity.
Charles Goodyear (1800) a chemist and manufacturing engineer who developed vulcanized rubber. His discovery was accidental, where he explored the situation and after five years of searching for a more stable rubber and stumbling upon the effectiveness of heating.
Science Demands Perseverance from its Practitioners:
1. The important characteristic of science that brings development and progress is perseverance of scientists.
2. Scientists getting an inspirational idea or a creative thought have to persist with the idea to take it to its logical conclusions, based on facts or observations.
3. Scientists may work alone or join with others in developing the idea further to find out ways to discover or invention, While at other times the scientists can make only a beginning and then others join them in developing the idea further.
The discovery of the wonder drug pencillin by Alexander Fleming in 1929 is the result of an incident happened by a chance which led to serious observation followed by hard work paved the way for discovery of many other antibiotics like Streptomycin and Erythromycin.
Science as an Approach to Investigate and as a Process of Constructing Knowledge:
1. The investigations in science involve some form of scientific method.
2. Scientists for seeking solution to a problem use different methods like observation, prediction and sometimes experimentation to study the cause and effect relationship.
3. Whatever we observe through our senses (information) is sent to the brain and the brain processes the information by registering, classifying, generalising etc., and converts into knowledge. Sensory perception is primary in knowledge development.
4. Here, the individual constructs the knowledge on his own by applying their own mental abilities and intelligence to process the information received through senses.
5. The basic unit of knowledge is fact. In science any repeatedly verifiable observation becomes a fact.
6. Scientific approach always is based on cause and effect relation.
Examples of facts are:
i. Solids have definite shape and volume.
ii. The rainbow is seen in a direction opposite to that of the sun.
Essay # 4. Physical Science:
The child is interested to learn things which are related to his experiences. This could be possible only when the subjects are integrated and correlated rather than in isolation. The other physical sciences also have equally contributed a lot to the field of biological studies.
Obviously we can’t teach and understand each and every thing about a particular branch of science without the help of other sciences. The child on the other hand can’t appreciate and understand the branches of science in isolation from others. The study of interrelatedness helps the child to understand the concepts easily, more interesting and natural.
Science cannot be taught in isolation. All the branches of science are interdependent upon each other and there are a number of facts and principles which are common to various science subjects. This however does not mean that the teacher of one branch of science ought to know everything of other branches of science.
But it is very much essential that he should have sufficient knowledge of other sciences so as to bring about integration of subjects. He should also know where to depart from his own subject and how much should he venture into areas which are not his own.
The following example may be taken:
1. A teacher while teaching the sense organs says an eye should make a parallelism with a camera, which the student has learnt in physics. To understand the images, knowledge of image formation by the convex lens is essential.
E.g. (a) The rays which pass through the centre of the lens travel straight without any change in direction.
(b) The rays which run parallel to the principal axis pass through the focus of the lens after refraction from the lens.
Again when the teacher is teaching the same topic in the period of human physiology, the defects in the eye i.e., short sightedness (by the elongation of the eyeball and the image in formed a little in front of the retina and not exactly on the retina) he should know other factors also which cause the shifting of the image.
E.g. (a) By changing the distance between the lens and object.
(b) By changing the distance between the lens and the screen.
(c) By changing the total length of lens.
If the teacher possesses knowledge of physics he can most successfully correlate his topic with other branches of science and make the whole knowledge easily acceptable to the children.
2. Similarly while teaching digestive system the teacher should have adequate knowledge of chemistry without the help of which he cannot justify the topic.
The teacher must correlate it by telling about:
(a) Soluble and insoluble constituents of our diet.
(b) Chemistry of different digestive juices and their effect on the constituents of food that we take.
(c) The final products and the process of assimilation of products by the membranes of different organs. This will involve the reference of concepts of osmosis, density and the pressure etc.
Science is universal; it has no barrier of any kind as too has no barriers. The recent advances in the field of science and technology and its wide application as well as their use in daily life situation justify the utilitarian value of science. Taxonomy reveals the unity in diversity. Evolution and mutation theories help us understand the relation of living forms.
Motion, Mass and Energy related theories relate Universe, Sun, Earth and all other planets and their existence. Further their relation to life forms. Hence in nature everything is in relation and co-existence. This is what has to be understood by the student in the study of scientific theories and phenomenon.
Essay # 5. Science and Social Environment:
Relating science education with the environment of a child has been the prime concern of educationists. The environment of the child includes natural and social environment.
In science we learn about the nature’s phenomena. Human is a part of nature. Therefore, every effort should be made to integrate science with learning the environment. The science curriculum should address issues and concerns related to environment such as climate change, acid rain, growth of water, eutrophication and various types of pollutions etc. Further, it should be applied to society to understand social phenomenon in a scientific way and solve all social problems with all objectivity and universal application.
Science teachers should aim to enlighten the young minds with the wonders of science. They should be engaged to construct the knowledge through an interdisciplinary approach appreciating its relation and impact on the social and natural environment. They can recognize the competence of science by doing activities related to their everyday life.
Current issues and events in science like new technological innovations, scientific discoveries, can be examined through social, economic and ethical perspectives to help students in relating these issues with one another and explore their areas of interest.
The significance of chemistry to society can be highlighted by discussing the chemical components used in products that have altered agriculture, food, health, medicine, electronics, transportation, technology and the natural environments. To understand its relevance to home economics, one can think what happens to the electricity bill if solar cooker, solar heater, solar lanterns and CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) are used.
For Instances- Bhopal Tragedy Unforgettable Industrial Disaster:
Industries are the symbols of development, but other side of the coin is lack of safety measures and irresponsibility of emitting pollutants. On 2nd December 1984 about 3000 human beings died and 5000 were effected seriously, thousands of cattle, birds, dogs, and cats died in just one night at Bhopal tragedy.
These mass deaths were due to the leakage of Methyle Isocyanate (MIC) into the air from an insecticide factory managed by union carbide. Thousands of lives helplessly crushed in this incident. This is unforgettable industrial disaster towards air pollution.
Essay # 6. Science and
Technology:
Technology is often equated to applied sciences and its domain is generally thought to include mechanical, electrical, optical, electronic devices and instruments, the house hold and commercial gadgets, equipment used in physics, chemistry, biology, nuclear science etc. These various sub-domains of technology are interrelated. Modern technology is an applied science because the basic principles of sciences are applied to develop the technology.
Science and technology are linked to each other. Discoveries in science have paved the way for the evolution of new technologies. At the same time technology has been instrumental in the development of science.
Han’s Christian Oersted, one of the leading scientists of the 19th century, played a crucial role in understanding electromagnetism. In 1820 he discovered that a compass needle got deflected when an electric current passed through a metallic wire placed nearby. Through this he showed that electricity and magnetism were related phenomena. His research later created technologies such as radio, television and fiber optics.
The development of microscope by Antony Van Leeuwenhock, where he interwined optical principles with astronomical and biological understanding which further led to the development of the telescope.
Thus, science influences technology by providing knowledge and methodology. But on the other hand technology also influences science by providing equipments to find out the unknown phenomenon of the nature. This shows interdependence of science and technology.
In science we inquire how a natural phenomenon occurs, while in technology we deal with how the scientific processes can also be used for human welfare. Technology as a discipline has its own autonomy and should not be regarded as a mere extension of science.
Basically science is an open ended exploration; its end results are not fixed in advance. Technology on the other hand, is also an exploration but usually with a definite goal in mind. Science is universal; technology is goal oriented and often local specific.
People today are faced with an increasingly fast-changing world where the most important skills are flexibility in adapting to new demands and creativity in taking advantages of new opportunities. These imperatives have to be kept in mind in shaping science education.
Essay # 7. Science and
Society:
The applications of science and technology have led to the remarkable improvement in the quality of human life. It has given lot of comfort and leisure to the human kind on one side and equipped it with skills needed for problem solving and decision making on the other side. It has changed the outlook of the individual on different beliefs, myths, taboos and superstitions.
People started working with logical thinking, objectivity and open mindedness. Modern society believed in the co-existence of diversity in social and political thinking. Science always works for the welfare of our future generations by talking about sustainable development. Society is also showing its concern using the scientific knowledge for peace and prosperity of the society.
For instances, consuming tobacco (Gutkha, cigarettes, beedi, khaini) damages the internal organs of the body. The numbers of addicted people at the age of 15 or below are 57.57 lakhs (68%) both in Telengana and Andhra. When they reach 30 yrs. of age thin internal organs becomes damaged, this may lead to several problems and sometimes lead to death.
It is a dangerous trend in our country. So, we have to inculcate healthy habits in children by teaching science. Many youth are also addicted to alcohol which damages the liver and other body organs which in turn also affects human resource development.
Let Us Think It Over:
Do you know that our eyes can live even after our death? By donating our eyes after we die, we can give sight to a blind person.
About 35 million people in the developing world are blind and most of them can be cured. About 4.5 million people are with corneal blindness, can be cured by corneal transplantation of donated eyes. Out of these 4.5 million, 60% are children below the age of 12 yrs. So, if we got the gift of vision, let us pass it on to somebody who does not have it.
Essay # 8. Scientific Method and Its Steps:
1. The development of scientific attitude and training in scientific method are two cardinal aims for the teaching of science. In other words it is a method of solving a problem scientifically.
2. Scientific method involves reflective thinking, reasoning and results from the achievement of certain abilities, skills and attitudes.
Definition of Scientific Method:
Carl Pearson says, ‘The scientific method is marked by the following features:
1. Careful and accurate classification of facts.
2. Observation of their co-relation and sequence.
3. Discovery of scientific law by creative imagination, and self-criticism.
4. The final touch-stone of equal validity for all normally constituted needs.
Steps of Scientific Method:
Observation is the base for science. It knows the phenomenon through senses. Without control of external or internal situations.
1. It is the way we perceive the nature and using the senses and processed through the faculty of brain.
2. It is a process of checking conclusions. After observation we try to explain what we have seen based on cause and effect relation. In science repeatedly verifiable observations becomes a fact.
Facts are specific verifiable information obtained through observation and measurement. They are verifiable with reference to time and place.
Some facts do not require the time and place to be mentioned. Ex- Iron is a greyish hard metal.
Some facts are specific like ‘water boils at 100°C at 760mm Hg of pressure.
Concepts:
A concept is an idea or a mental image of an object is generalised forms of specific relevant direct experiences interpreted in a language or word form for communication.
1. Concepts. Ex. plant, animal etc.
2. According to Bruner, every concept has five elements i.e. name, example (positive & negative), attributes (characteristics) attribute value and rule (definition).
3. Concepts formed without direct experiences may lead to misconceptions. Hence, care should be taken in provide direct experiences in learning process.
Principles are based on several concepts. They are the representation of phenomena on which the activities or behaviour can be generalised to some extent.
A number of concepts combine in a way to convey meaning which can be tested and verified universally, becomes a principle.
Ex- Mytosis, Meiosis, Glycolysis, Photosynthesis, Mutations, Evolution etc.
Scientific Inquiry:
It occupies a prominent place in science as it helps pupils to understand how scientific ideas are developed.
1. It is broadly defined as a search for truth or knowledge. Emphasis is placed on the aspects of search rather than on the mere acquisition of knowledge.
2. Empirical testing, reasoning and controlled experimenting are some of the methods of science inquiry.
The steps in scientific methods are illustrated with a specific example:
Example:
The teacher demonstrates an experiment to the students to show that water boils at low temperature under low pressure.
1. Sensing the Problem:
The teacher provides a situation in which the students feel the need of asking some questions. Teacher may also put questions which require reflective thinking and reasoning on the part of the students, this may become a problem to solve. The interest of the students, availability of the material and its utility should be considered.
A flask was taken and filled it half with water. Boil the water over a flame. Remove the flame. Cork the flask. Invert it and pour cold water on the flask. The students observe the process carefully and saw that water has begun to boil again when cold water is poured on the bottom of the inverted flask. They at once sense a problem for themselves finding out the reason and explanation of what they have seen.
2. Defining the Problem:
The student now defines the problem in a concise, definite and clear language. There should be some key-words in the statement of the problem, which may help in better understanding the problem.
The student can give different statements such as:
(i) Why is water boiling?
(ii) Why did the water boil first?
(iii) Why was the flask corked and then inverted?
(iv) Why was cold water poured over the bottom of the inverted flask?
(v) Why did the water boil in the flask when cold water is poured over the inverted flask?
Of all these statements, the last one is in fact the problem which should be solved.
3. Analysis of the Problem:
The student now fined the key words and phrases in the problem which provide clue to further study of the problem. At the same time, the students must have knowledge of every key word and the understanding of the whole problem. In our selected problem ‘water boil’ or the boiling of the water are the key words which gives us clue to find information regarding the boiling of water under different conditions.
After analysis of the problem the teacher suggests references on the problem. The student needs to plan the subsequent activities. They have to discuss, consult references, use audio-visual aids such as models, pictures, specimens, organise field trips and do the experimentation carefully. Unnecessary data should also be discarded.
Formulation of Tentative Solutions or Hypothesis:
After collection of data, the students are asked to formulate some tentative hypothesis. A hypothesis is the probable solution to the problem in hand, which should be free from bias and self-inclination.
The students can suggest the hypothesis like:
Water will also boil:
(i) When flask is not inverted.
(ii) When water is not boiled but only warmed.
(iii) When hot water is poured over the inverted flask containing cold water.
(iv) When hot water is poured over the inverted flask containing boiled water.
(v) When cold water is poured over the flask containing cold water.
(vi) When cold water is poured over the inverted flask containing boiled water.
These are some of the hypothesis the students can suggest.
Selecting and Testing the Most Appropriate Hypothesis:
The students can select the most tenable hypothesis by rejecting others through experimentation and discussion.
The students have found out that water begins to boil again in an inverted flask when cold water is poured over it. In no other condition this was possible and so all other hypothesis were rejected.
Drawing Conclusions and Making Generalisations:
In this step, conclusions are drawn from the experiments. The results should support the expected solution. Experiments can be repeated to verify the consistency and correctness of the conclusion drawn and should be properly reported. When some conclusions are drawn from different sets of experimentation under similar situations, they may go for generalisation of their conclusion.
The generalisation can be made by arranging a set of experiments which also show the same conclusion already reached at.
The effect of varying pressure on boiling point of water can be found out by conducting experiments. From these conditions, one can generalise that pressure has a direct effect on the boiling point of water i.e. the increase in pressure raises the boiling point of water and vice-versa.
Application of Generalization to New Situations:
The student should apply generalization under new situations in his daily life minimising the gap between classroom situation and real life situation.
The student will apply the generalization that increase in pressure increases the boiling point of water and vice-versa, to explain the reason of – ‘why’ is it difficult to cook meat and pulses at higher altitudes.
Why do the pulses take lesser time for cooking in pressure cooker.
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In this way the student will apply the generalization to other life situations.
Scientific Method- A Critical View:
A few points about the scientific method need to be emphasized.
Scientific method is not a prescribed pathing for making discoveries in science. Very rarely the method has remained a key to discovery in science. It is the attitude of inquiry, investigation and experimentation rather than following set steps of a particular method that leads to discoveries and advancement in science.
Sometimes a theory may suggest a new experiment at other times an experiment may suggest a new theoretical model. Scientists do not always go through all the steps of the method and not necessarily in the order we have outlines above. Investigation in science often involves repeated action on any one or all steps of the scientific method in any order.
Many important and path breaking discoveries in science have been made by trial and error, experimentation and accidental observation. The Rontgen and Fleming both of them did not set out the following scientific steps to discover X-rays and penicillin, but they had qualities of healthy intuition and perseverance which took them to their goals. Besides intuition informed guesswork, creativity, an eye for an unusual occurrence, all played a significant role in developing new theories, and there by progress in science.
The validity of a hypothesis depends solely on the experimental test and not on any other attributes. There is no authority in science that tells you what you can criticize and what you cannot criticize. Thus, science is highly objective discipline.
A scientific method with its linear steps makes us feel that science is a ‘closed box approach’ of thinking. However in practice science is more about thinking ‘out of the box’. There is tremendous scope for creativity in science. Many times in science an idea or a solution to a vexing problem appears to arise out of creativity and imagination. Ex- The stories of Archimedes, Newton, Robert Hook, Fleming and Madam Curie etc.
People keep floating all kinds of theories; often they narrow their arguments in scientific terms. This may create lot of confusion among them, but we should remember that a theory is valid only if it passes the test of experimentation, otherwise it may just be a matter of faith.
The scientific method imposes operational limitation on science. It does not help us to make aesthetic or value judgment. For example, frequency of the colour of paintings may be determined but there is no scientific method to label the paintings of two artists as great or not so great. Scientific method does not prove or refute the ideas such as existence of God and existence of life after death.
Following scientific method does not ensure that a discovery can be made. However, the skills learnt in making observation, analysis, hypothesis, prediction from a hypothesis and it’s testing by experimentation help us in developing scientific attitude.
All of us will benefit immensely if we imbibe the spirit of scientific method in our personal lives. The scientific method tells us to be honest in reporting our observations or experimental results, keep an open mind and to be ready to accept other points of view. If our own view is proved wrong.
Scientific method is a logical approach to problem-solving.
