Conversations on Science: What Makes Science, Well, Science?
Summary
TLDRThe video script from 'After the Fact' explores the central role of science in our lives, with host Dan Leduc discussing its significance in shaping humanity's understanding of the universe and ourselves. Featuring insights from Ira Flato of 'Science Friday' and theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, the conversation delves into the scientific method, its dynamic nature, and its capacity for self-correction. The script highlights science as a vital tool in addressing global challenges, such as the current pandemic, and emphasizes the importance of curiosity, research, and collective action in our quest for knowledge and survival.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Science is central to understanding the universe and human nature, offering a playground for exploration and self-expression.
- 📚 Growing up, science and studies served as a refuge, especially for the son of immigrants, and fostered a curiosity about how things work.
- 🔍 The scientific method is a fundamental process that begins with a question and involves seeking evidence to prove or disprove hypotheses.
- 📈 Science is not a static body of knowledge but a dynamic process that evolves with ongoing research and discovery.
- 🤔 The importance of mentorship in nurturing scientific curiosity and guiding young minds, as exemplified by the influence of Mrs. Pfeffer on Ira Flatow.
- 🌐 Science is intertwined with daily life, from new medicines and technology to big data analysis, reflecting its impact on society.
- 🧬 The public's perception of science as an unchanging encyclopedia is challenged by the understanding that it's a constantly evolving field.
- 🔬 Scientists do not always agree with each other, but the scientific community strives for truth, and research can change prevailing ideas over time.
- 📝 Publishing findings is crucial in science for peer review and commentary, ensuring the community can assess and build upon the work.
- 🌐 Science can be applied to everyday life, from shopping to decision-making, emphasizing the value of evidence-based reasoning.
- 🔄 Science is self-correcting; over time, it adapts and evolves as new experiments either confirm or refute existing theories and ideas.
Q & A
What does the speaker describe as the core of science and its connection to humanity?
-The speaker describes the core of science as exploring the origin and nature of the universe and ourselves, which is central to understanding why we are human.
Why did the speaker grow up with a strong interest in science?
-The speaker grew up as the son of immigrants, where science and studies served as a refuge, and it made sense to him to seek answers that could be proven one way or another.
What is the significance of the 'scientific method' mentioned in the script?
-The scientific method is significant as it is the systematic approach to understanding the world, which always begins with a question and is fundamental to scientific inquiry.
How does Ira Flatow, the host of Science Friday, view the nature of science?
-Ira Flatow views science as a process, not a static encyclopedia of facts, and emphasizes that it is intertwined with our lives and constantly evolving.
What role did Mrs. Pfeffer play in Ira's early interest in science?
-Mrs. Pfeffer, Ira's eighth-grade teacher, played a crucial role by encouraging him to participate in a science club and to undertake projects, which helped keep his interest in science alive.
What is the general agreement among people about the impact of science on life according to the Pew Research Center's data point 79?
-According to the Pew Research Center's data point 79, 79 percent of people agree that science has made life easier for most people.
How does the script describe the scientific community's approach to truth and agreement?
-The script describes the scientific community as one that looks for the truth and holds a general agreement at any one point in time, but this can change as new research and evidence are presented.
What is the importance of publishing data in the scientific process as mentioned in the script?
-Publishing data is important in the scientific process because it allows the rest of the community to peer-review findings, comment on the research, and contribute to the ongoing development of knowledge.
How does the script relate the scientific method to our day-to-day lives?
-The script relates the scientific method to day-to-day life by suggesting that it can be applied to various situations, such as shopping or evaluating information from friends, by listening, collecting information, and assessing its validity.
What does Carlo Rovelli describe as the starting point of science?
-Carlo Rovelli describes the starting point of science as a sense of wonder and mystery, with the understanding that we do not know things, which drives curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge.
How does the script discuss the role of science in addressing the ecological crisis?
-The script discusses the role of science in addressing the ecological crisis by emphasizing that we must realize we are part of nature and find the best ways to interact with it, using science as a guide.
Outlines
🔬 The Central Role of Science in Life and Exploration
This paragraph introduces the deep connection between science and our existence. It emphasizes the significance of science in understanding the universe and ourselves, as well as its role in shaping our daily lives. The speaker, Dan LeDuc, shares his personal journey with science, highlighting its importance as a refuge and a means of self-expression. The paragraph also touches on the scientific method, the dynamic nature of scientific knowledge, and the importance of research and peer review in the scientific community. It sets the stage for a discussion on the impact of science on society and the individual.
🌟 The Wonder and Method of Science
In this paragraph, the conversation delves into the nature of scientific inquiry and its methodology. The speaker, Ira Flato, discusses the non-linear and self-correcting nature of science, drawing parallels to the arts, specifically painting. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of questioning, the scientific method's role in guiding discovery, and the iterative process of research and validation. It also touches on the current pandemic, illustrating how scientific research is unfolding in real-time and the public's stake in understanding this process. The discussion with theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli highlights the beauty and depth of science, its ability to reveal the unknown, and the importance of maintaining a sense of wonder and curiosity.
🌱 Science as a Guide for Humanity and the Ecological Crisis
The final paragraph focuses on the broader implications of science for humanity and the environment. It discusses the ecological crisis as a major challenge that requires a collective and scientific approach. Rovelli emphasizes that science is a tool that should be guided by our moral and political values, and that it is crucial for addressing global issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the role of science in guiding humanity towards survival and the importance of listening to scientific findings while making value-based decisions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Science
💡Scientific Method
💡Curiosity
💡Mentoring
💡Research
💡Peer Review
💡Epidemiology
💡Pandemic
💡Ecological Crisis
💡Interdisciplinary
💡Self-correcting
Highlights
Science is central to human life, offering a means to explore the universe's origin and our own nature.
Growing up as the son of immigrants, science provided a refuge and a way to prove answers.
The importance of the scientific method, which always begins with a question, is emphasized.
Science is not a collection of static facts but a dynamic process of discovery and learning.
Ira Flato, host of 'Science Friday', shares his childhood curiosity and interest in how things work.
The role of mentorship in nurturing a passion for science, as exemplified by Ira's eighth-grade teacher.
The idea that without science, we would lack modern medicines, transportation, and health.
Science as a snapshot of our current understanding, subject to change with ongoing research.
The scientific community's disagreement and the pursuit of truth through research and evidence.
The significance of publishing data for peer review and the self-correcting nature of science.
Applying the scientific method to everyday life for problem-solving and decision-making.
The beauty and depth of science, as seen by theoretical physicist and writer Carlo Rovelli.
Science's role in realizing the interconnectedness of humanity and the ecological crisis.
The importance of listening to scientists while making moral and political decisions.
Science as a tool for humanity to address and overcome global challenges.
The public's stake in understanding the scientific process, especially during a pandemic.
The convergence of scientific ideas and the importance of debate and uncertainty in scientific discovery.
Transcripts
[Music]
the science gave me a fantastic
playground
and a way to express myself it goes to
the heart of why we're human
to explore the origin and nature of the
universe and ourselves
why has science become so central to my
life it makes a huge amount of sense to
me
to get answers where i can prove
one way or another growing up as the the
son of
immigrants science and studies were a
refuge
for the pew charitable trusts i'm dan
leduc and this is after the fact
it's a new season and we'll be hearing
this fall from voices like these
each with a passion for science
new medicines from a lab the technology
that allows you to hear me right now
the analysis of big data like the
epidemiology going on now to better
understand how the coronavirus is
transmitted
it's all science and it's intertwined
with our lives
every day we think of it as an
encyclopedia of books
right there's a fact in a book and
that's that's going to be that way
forever
but it's not science is a process
that's ira fledo host of the popular
public radio program science
friday and you'll hear from them again
shortly but first
our data point 79
according to the pew research center 79
percent of us
agree that science has made life easier
for most people
and as most of us learned in school
there's a method the scientific
method and it always begins with a
question
now back to ira who began asking
questions as a kid
i was always interested in science i
never wanted to be a scientist i wanted
to be an engineer
because i wanted to know how things work
and so
i would take things apart i would take
my mother's washing machine apart
i learned how to fix black and white
televisions myself
i would enter science fair projects i
really wanted to know how the world
worked and i was very curious about how
that happens
i was lucky also to have a teacher mrs
pfeffer
my eighth grade teacher who had a
science club and i think it's very
important
for people to know that kids need some
sort of
mentoring i if i didn't have mrs pfeffer
encouraging me
after school to do projects and one of
which i almost burned down my mother's
bathroom but that's another story
um i i think i would not have been it
kept my interest going but
that's how i got started so let me ask
you a question where you fill in the
blank at the end of this sentence
without science we would be
back in the stone age i mean
uh you know who invented you know the
question of who invented the wheel i
mean
where how much experimentation did that
take
without science we wouldn't have the
medicines we have today we wouldn't have
the transportation we have today we
wouldn't have the health we have today
i could go on and on we wouldn't have
the stock market we had today
there is the scientific method there's a
way you follow to do science and guess
what
it works i mean how do you explain that
to people science is basically a
snapshot
of what we know about the world working
at one time
and that's now and what we might know in
the future
by doing research and the word research
is really very
important in this central idea because
how does science work
well you come up with an idea and then
you search
for evidence for your idea you come up
with okay a conclusion
i think the universe works this way or i
think a drug works that way
we then have to research it we have to
send somebody else out to do the search
and or many people to go out and do that
search so
science is research it's over and over
ag
again until it becomes accepted the
second thing about science is that
people think that all scientists agree
with each other and they don't
but science looks for the truth and sort
of
holds the scientific community about
what the general agreement
is at any one point in time but
eventually if there's enough
research that goes on it changes the
current thinking and that changes how we
think about something that's going on in
the world and so you then
publish the data that's very important
you publish what you have found so that
the rest of the community the rest of
your peers
peer-reviewed things can comment on what
you've done
the main idea is that it is not a static
thing
we are part of a moving target of
history and science works that way
it's telling us what we know at any one
time can we
employ the scientific method in sort of
our day-to-day lives just
fussing through trying to figure things
out absolutely
if we didn't call it the scientific
method and called it something else
there would be a lot of people who'd be
aboard with understanding what it is
you know i mean the scientific method
whether whether you're shopping for
clothing or
whether you're buying a car or whether
you're trying to believe what your
friends are telling you
it's it's all about listening and
collecting the information
and seeing whether it makes sense that
whole being able to replicate something
shows um that there's something to it as
opposed to a one-time wonder
they'd like to say that science is
self-correcting
you may not agree with what's going on
now but
over a period of time enough people who
want to prove you wrong
and they're all out there they will
conduct their own experiments and try to
prove that you
are right or you are wrong and over time
if you are wrong science will
self-correct itself
to bring around a new idea and move on
from there
so there's motion to the method and it
can become a wondrous thing to watch
carlo rivelli a world-renowned
theoretical physicist and writer
sees a beauty and a depth in science
carlo rovelli welcome thank you so much
for being with us today thank you for
having me
you are a physicist who i must say
writes like a poet
and your book uh the seven
brief lessons on physics is in something
like 40 languages
around the world and it ends with this
most
uh amazing line that i would like to to
start our conversation with if you don't
mind
you say that on the edge of what we know
in contact with the oceans of the
unknown shines the mystery and the
beauty of the world
is that science is that the pursuit of
science for you
yes uh definitely because uh
science starts i think both historically
and in the life of each scientist
uh with a wonder and with the
mystery and in fact i think the nature
of science is to realize that we do not
know
things and therefore we're curious to go
and try to
find out and the natural style of
science is also the
based on the discovery that we can find
out things we can discover things that
we did not know
there's a methodology to to science
there is a scientific method
but the scientific method is both
something that leads us forward but also
makes us pause makes us reevaluate
science it seems despite
methodology um is not linear uh it's
like
painting of course there is a method for
painting you go to school and they teach
you how to paint
but then the painter is the the guy who
does does not follow what is being
taught
and then something else of course there
are many aspects of science which are
pretty stable and that give it strength
checking not trusting
ideas unless you find a way to confirm
them
try to base your information on actual
data and
and looking at the world observing
measuring
checking um putting in doubt
not believing the things you you believe
there's a beautiful line
in brecht galileo in the play in which
at the end galileo the the one of the
inventors of science so to say
with one of his young assistant and they
got an idea and the
the assistant says okay now let's do
everything possible to show that it is
right
and galileo says no no no let's do it
everything possible to show that it is
wrong
and if it survives maybe we start
believing it
fascinating yes so you know um we are
speaking at a time when
um the world of course is facing this
terrible pandemic
and scientific research about this is
unfolding before our eyes
the public who maybe doesn't follow
these things
this this methodology this way of doing
business closely
has a real stake in this right to see
what's going on are there lessons for us
all in
in what we're learning and how this is
unfolding yeah i think there are lessons
and then
and in fact uh it's it's it's an
opportunity for us
seeing how science works the first thing
we all notice
is that we don't know anything we are in
the dark and that's
that's often the starting point of
science um the second thing is
we're not completely the dark the reason
we are
searching for uh way to heal this
virus and for uh vaccines
is because we have ways to ill illnesses
that
are extraordinarily effective so
on the one hand we see the limits of
science on the other hand
we see the immense power of science a
few generations ago
not many maybe two centuries ago the
life expectancy of people
were several decades shorter than today
this is because there was a scientific
method of some sort
that helped us to learn how to deal with
with illness and that's what is being
used the second point is that
we see that scientists look in different
directions however
there is convergence and that's the
point there are always been convergence
in scientific
debates and uncertainty so after the
debate after the search
the knowledge that is acquired is
definitely knowledge
so it will take time but it will come
out
we all see how science is crucial i mean
if there's anything that can save us for
a lot of pain
this situation is scientific knowledge
but then the actual decisions
are political our moral are value
decisions
there are a lot of heart decisions that
society can only take by
negotiating by politics by debate by
discussion
also in your book you write this lovely
sentence
we are like an only child who in growing
up
realizes the world does not revolve only
around himself
he must learn to be among others that
seems to me
um wow a view of science that talks
about our
common humanity uh and how we learn
about each other is that is that what we
were trying to get out there
oh yes definitely we exist a part of a
network
both individually network of humanity
and humanity as a part of networking
biology
and as part of the larger aspect of
things and this is important because uh
one of the major crises humanity is
facing uh
probably much bigger than the uh the
current epidemics uh is is ecological
crisis in the in the larger sense the
the the heating of the planet and the
the collapsing of the species so we have
to obviously to take care of that and we
have to take care of that collectively
and we do that by realizing not that we
are a sort of a
powerful thing outside nature but we are
part of nature and we find the best way
we have to find the best way to interact
with it
so i think what you're saying though is
science is going to be perhaps one of
the most important
guides for us in saving the world in the
coming years i mean we do face some
enormous challenges
is science up to that task right now
science is a tool that we have and we
should not
mistake a tool with our ideology or our
objective the value that we have don't
come from science
come from ourself from inside ourselves
we want to survive because we want to
survive we want humanity to survive
because we want it to survive and then
we look for tools
and science today
is by far the best tool we have
i mean if you want to go to the moon you
ask a scientist if you want to heal
a person with your pneumonia you ask a
scientist do you want to build a bridge
you ask a scientist
or you ask somebody who relies on
knowledge
that were developed by uh by scientists
i think we should be guided by a
discussion among us on on on moral
and political values uh but then we
should be careful to what scientists say
because they're you know raising red
flags and we should listen to the
solution that they can offer knowing
that they are not
necessarily complete solutions it's the
best we we have so far
carlos rovelli thank you so much this
has been a fascinating conversation
learned a lot about what makes science
science but are we
trusting the science we hear about in
our next episode
more on being in the middle of a living
experiment
there's a little nugget of information
that's going on here
as a public we have been learning all
sorts of information we didn't know
including the idea that there is such a
thing as coronavirus
we hope you join us to hear more for the
pew charitable trusts
i'm dan leduc and this is after the fact
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