What is science really all about? HKU 7 th May Mike Brownnutt Associate Director Faith and Science Collaborative Research Forum
Science is… something to do with the scientific method Scientific method, the (n) principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses. https://explorable.com/scientific-method Does religion have any place in science and engineering research?
Recognition and formulation of a problem By HK Arun https://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File%3AGold_Coast_Beach_in_HK.JPG What is the average size of the sand grains on Gold Coast beach? Come up with something worth investigating
A problem worth solving… Theodore W. Richards chemistry/laureates/1914/richards-bio.html http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/ Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1914) " in recognition of his accurate determinations of the atomic weight of a large number of chemical elements. "
A problem worth solving… http://sciencenotes.org/printable-periodic-table/ “These unique numbers seemed to be the most definite and unchanging of all the properties of material.”
Recognition and formulation of a problem Come up with something worth investigating Convince someone else it is worth investigating Convince someone to give you money
https://commons.wikimedia.org/ w/index.php?curid=11771871 www.nobelprize.org A problem worth investigating: measures of “worth” Dollars made Nakamura 2014 https://commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Trinity_shot_color.jpg Lives lost Fermi 1938 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=M7IHb_WpUuI *1978: Penzias and Wilson, 2006: Mather and Smoot Lives saved Koch 1905 https://commons.wikimedia.org/ w/index.php?curid=23285693 Lemaitre Epistemic optimism * 2006 1978
Recognition and formulation of a problem Come up with something worth investigating Convince someone else Publication record it is worth investigating Convince someone to give you money Funding record i.e. Reputation Convince a university ask someone to care to hire you Connections Convince students to Something else work for you Convince students to work with each other
Collection of data through observation and experiment Can I get money for it? Come up with an experiment Should I get money for it?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ internewseurope/7887050306 By Maximilien Brice (CERN) ~ 1 billion people missing out Should I get money for my research? ~ $10 billion https://www.flickr.com/photos/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/ gtzecosan/4134816244 julien_harneis/746003799 ~ 2.5 billion people missing out ~ $10 billion
Collection of data through observation and experiment Can I get Is is likely to money for it? kill my students? Come up with an experiment Should I get Is that a money for it? problem? DOI: 10.1126/science.1259657
Collection of data through observation and experiment Can I get Is is likely to money for it? kill my students? Come up with an experiment Should I get Is that a money for it? problem? Tell your students to do it again Declare a Find the experiment Get better Loop discovery! produces garbage equipment Get better Collect students Nobel prize (?) Decide if belief is an Keep going until you appropriate criterion get results you believe for acceptance
And then… PUBLISH! Scientific method, the (n) principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.
And then… PUBLISH! Can I get more data first? Will I get scooped? When does my student Should I get more data first? need to graduate? When is the next RAE? One paper Nature or Publish or three? Rev. Sci. Inst. ?
And then… (II): other forms of dissemination Undergrads Postgrads Industry The future of our society? The engine of research? Patents? A waste of my time? My greatest legacy? Spin out? Prospective grad students? Cheap labour? Partnership? General public Schools Government Faith communities
What is science really all about? Does religion have any place in science and engineering research?
What is science really all about? Does religion have any place in science and engineering research?
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