Tuesday, week 3

• Zita on Scientific Revolutions.1

• Arney on Effects of Science

• Applications to your beliefs

• Preview of this week

Paradigms are shared belief systems More than just a hunch, feeling, or bias

Theory, model, laws – disciplinary matrix

Community-based foundation and guidelines for puzzle-solving and knowledge creation

Normal science can improve paradigms

Actualize the promise of theories (23-24)

Extend knowledge of revealing facts

Test a paradigm’s predictions

Further articulate the paradigm itself

Strive to better align theory with fact (80)

Solve puzzles posed by the paradigm

Investigation can strengthen or clarify your belief

Extend your knowledge of relevant facts

Test your belief’s consequences or predictions

Further articulate your belief itself

Transform your belief to better align it with evidence

Address questions related to your belief

Help you present your belief more persuasively

Persuade you to change your belief

Paradigm shifts

Kuhn’s three main examples of scientific revolutions

1. Copernican model for the solar system (astronomy /astrophysics) You have learned quite a lot about this one already, and will learn more yet.

2. Phlogiston and oxygen (chemistry)

3. Special Relativity (physics)

Copernican Revolution

Predecesor Paradigm:

Anomalies with old paradigm:

Crisis and proliferation of models:

New technology:

New facts discovered or theories invented:

Resolution of crisis: new paradigm

Does it matter which model is true? See Zita’s essay...

Phlogiston & Oxygen Predecesor Paradigm: Roasted objects LOSE phlogiston.

Anomalies with old paradigm: Roasted objects often GAIN mass. How could phlogiston have negative mass?

Crisis and proliferation of models …

New technology: vacuum, mass balances, gas separation, …

Resolution of crisis: new paradigm: Roasted objects GAIN oxygen (positive mass).

Does it matter which model is true? New progress in chemistry …

Special RelativityPredecesor Paradigms: Newton’s absolute space & time

(ether); light as a wave in the ether

Anomalies with old paradigm (facts): Predicted effects of ether on light were not observed (Michelson & Morley, 1881-7)

Crisis and proliferation of models (new or alternative theories): Maxwell’s brilliant synthesis dropped the ether (1873) and showed that light is electromagneticPoincaré proposed two fundamental theorems of SR (1880s):

• There is no absolute reference frame• The speed of light is constant in all frames

Lorentz+Fitzgerald invented length contraction (1895) and time dilation to explain away M&M’s null result.

http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Michelson-MorleyExperiment.html

Is light a wave in the ether? (Michelson-Morley’s null result)

Light is electromagneticMaxwell 1873

Length contraction and time dilation explain away M&M’s null result?Lorentz+Fitzgerald 1895

Special Relativity …

Resolution of crisis: new paradigm: Einstein combined Maxwell’s synthesis, Poincare’s

theorems, Michelson+Morley’s observations, and Lorentz+Fitzgerald’s math into the Special Theory of Relativity (without crediting them…)

Does it matter which model is true?• Moving clocks run slow (need to correct GPS for this effect)• Moving objects appear skinnier (therefore some cosmic particles survive to Earth instead of decaying in atmosphere)• more…

(N.B.: This model does NOT explain gravity and the precession of Mercury’s orbit – that’s General Relativity.)

Applications to your beliefs Original belief:

Doubts about original belief:

Alternatives:

New facts from Library Research Workshop on Thursday

Test belief with evidence

Resolution: choose between alternative beliefs, or articulate a more credible and specific belief, based on new understanding

Questions about “facts”

Are facts discovered? Are facts = truth? (ontology)

Are theories invented?

Do facts depend on theories?

How can we know? (epistemology)

Stay tuned…

Science has Effects - Arney

Sample beliefs from PA.1 (look for a teammate)Gender:

•Women and men are equally prepared, both physically and mentally, to serve as law enforcement agents. (Kelli)•Single fathers can raise children just as well as single mothers can. (Wendy)•Differences in behavior between men and women are due overwhelmingly to society and culture rather than hormones and genetics. (Jared)

Politics and policies•Current drug policies in America create more problems than they solve.•Gay marriage solves more problems than it causes. •Heavily monitoring airports for terrorist activity is ineffective.

Health: •Routine childhood immunizations do more harm than good in the US. (Seth)•Vaccinations are preventative to your health. (Kelli)•We should avoid eating certain fish because of mercury dangers. (Ian M)

Science and other:•Earth is experiencing a polar tilt, and this is changing weather/climate.•Many Americans are constipated, and this can cause depression.•Screening foster parents results in safer foster homes. (Crystal + Sarah)

Problems with WebX?Computer Services posted this note online:

Over the weekend we experienced some problems with Web Crossing (WebX). On Saturday, Network Services was able to restart Web Crossing and recover its backup database (as of Oct 8 -12:01am) . It appears that there has been data corruption to the users database of web crossing. This is, at a minimum, causing access lists to behave as if users have no access in some folders. We are working with the vendor to resolve the problem as soon as possible. At this time you may experience problems or errors while working in Web Crossing.

How does this affect your work in Belief & Truth?

Since you are never posting first drafts, you have a copy of all your writing in MS Word – right?

If you have trouble posting to WebX, just come back half a day later and try again. If trouble persists, please email us so we can alert CS.

Please have your photo taken:

Kelli Hogan, Courtney Cutrona, Ryan Wachter, Miles Morris, others?

We want to see who we are responding to, on your WebX posts.

Jada will process your photo and make it available to you.

If you already have your photo, please upload it into your WebX Preferences.

Ask classmates how, if you have questions.

Please email us:

Samantha Woodward

Matthew Matthias

We do not have your email, and we need to contact you.

Post your Project Assignment 1 without delay. Ask classmates about this, if you have questions.

zita@evergreen.edu

arney@evergreen.edu