ìSeeing the worldî

• Scientistsí training give them a different view of world than non-scientists

• Scientific views of the world have changed over time

  • Like painters

• Different disciplines highlight different aspects of the world

  • Volcanoes and elephants

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The World Is Understandable
Things and events in universe occur in patterns comprehensible through study

Using intellect + instruments (extension of senses) can discover patterns in all of nature.

Confidence as scientist that a problem can be addressed.
The rules donít change in different parts of the universe
Or at different scales

Scientific Ideas Are Subject To Change
Science is a process for producing knowledge

Two parts

Observations

Theories
Change in knowledge is inevitable
New observations may challenge prevailing theories

Testing, improving, discarding of theories is part of the game
Cannot get to complete and absolute truth, but can get increasingly accurate approximations for the world and how it works.

Scientific Knowledge Is Durable (mostly)
Modification is more usual than rejection

Relativity and Newtonian physics

Growing confidence in predictions

Science Cannot Provide Complete Answers to All Questions
Beliefs

Morality
Can help understand consequences of actions