UP TALKS | How Do We Study the Physical World

Summary

This script explores the methods of studying the physical world, from observable phenomena like rainbows to subatomic particles detected through technology. It emphasizes the scientific process, the importance of creativity and simplicity in theory development, and the role of experiments in validating or falsifying theories. The speaker discusses the evolution of scientific thought, the predictive power of mathematics in scientific theories, and the interplay between science and technology, concluding with the pursuit of a unified theory explaining all physical phenomena.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The physical world encompasses everything perceivable by our senses, including tangible objects like trees and intangible phenomena like electrons detected through technology.
• 🔍 Studying the physical world involves using our observations and experiences, like the shape and color arrangement of rainbows, to form hypotheses and understand natural phenomena.
• 🧪 The importance of a laboratory in studying the physical world cannot be understated, as it allows for controlled experiments to create and study phenomena like rainbows.
• 🌈 Rainbows serve as an example of how initial clues from observations can lead to a deeper understanding of the physical world, such as the role of water droplets and sunlight in their creation.
• 💡 The scientific process values creativity and the ability to connect seemingly unrelated observations to form a cohesive theory that explains all observable phenomena.
• 📚 Sir Isaac Newton's experiment with a prism demonstrated the properties of light, which is crucial for understanding the creation of rainbows and the arrangement of colors.
• 🤔 Science is a creative endeavor that often involves a quantum leap from logical deduction to crucial intuition, rather than following a rigid, well-defined recipe.
• 📉 A good theory in science should be simple, have few adjustable parameters, and be able to explain past and current observations while predicting future outcomes.
• 🔢 Mathematics is essential in science for summarizing theories in a concise and elegant manner, enhancing the predictive capabilities of scientific theories.
• 🚫 Experiments are crucial for the falsification and validation of theories, but they cannot prove a theory; a single contradicting experiment can invalidate it.
• 🔬 Technology and science have a symbiotic relationship, with technological advancements often stemming from scientific understanding and, in turn, aiding further scientific discovery.

Q & A

What does the term 'physical world' encompass according to the script?

The 'physical world' includes everything that can be perceived through our five senses, such as trees and music, as well as things that are not directly observable but can be detected through instruments, like electrons and subatomic particles.

How are rainbows typically observed in relation to the horizon?

Rainbows are typically observed as a circular arc over the horizon at an angle of approximately 43 degrees relative to the ground.

What is the significance of the laboratory in studying natural phenomena like rainbows?

The laboratory is significant because it allows for the controlled creation and study of natural phenomena, such as rainbows, enabling faster and more detailed investigation within a confined and controlled environment.

What is the role of creativity in the scientific process?

Creativity plays a crucial role in the scientific process by allowing scientists to piece together observations and experimental results into a coherent theory, often requiring innovative thinking to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena.

Why is simplicity considered a virtue in a good scientific theory?

Simplicity is considered a virtue in a good scientific theory because it allows for easier understanding and application. A theory with fewer adjustable parameters is more likely to be correct and is preferable over a more complex competing theory.

What is the difference between the primary and secondary rainbow?

The primary rainbow is more intense and has the color sequence of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, while the secondary rainbow is less intense, appears higher than the primary, and has the color sequence in reverse order.

What does the script suggest about the scientific method?

The script suggests that while the scientific method is often taught as a step-by-step process, in reality, scientific discovery is more complex and involves elements of chance, intuition, and insights that cannot be easily replicated through a defined method.

How does the use of mathematics in science both aid and challenge the understanding of scientific theories?

Mathematics aids in making the presentation of scientific theories more simple and elegant, providing a predictive capability. However, it also challenges understanding because it can make science more difficult for those who have an aversion to or lack proficiency in mathematics.

What is the importance of falsifiability in a scientific theory according to the script?

Falsifiability is important because it allows for the possibility of disproving a theory through clear-cut experimental designs. A good theory must be testable and open to the potential of being shown incorrect by experimental evidence.

How does technology contribute to scientific progress?

Technology contributes to scientific progress by providing tools and methods that are based on scientific understanding, allowing for better manipulation, control, and visualization of phenomena. This, in turn, can lead to new discoveries and advancements in science.

What is the ultimate goal of science as described in the script?

The ultimate goal of science, as described in the script, is the search for unity, which involves finding a theory that can explain all phenomena, often referred to as the 'theory of everything.'

Outlines

00:00

🌈 Understanding the Physical World and Rainbows

The script introduces the concept of the physical world, encompassing both directly observable phenomena like trees and music, and indirectly observable phenomena such as subatomic particles. It uses the example of a rainbow to illustrate the scientific method, discussing initial observations like shape, color sequence, and position relative to the horizon. The importance of laboratory experiments in studying natural phenomena like rainbows is emphasized, highlighting the need for a theory to explain all observable clues, including the secondary, less intense rainbow.

05:02

🔬 The Role of Experimentation and Theory in Science

This paragraph delves into the necessity of experimentation for scientific progress, stating that a good theory must be able to withstand experimental validation and falsification. It discusses the historical development of scientific understanding, from Newton's color dispersion experiments to the formulation of scientific theories that require creativity and logical deduction. The paragraph also underscores the belief in nature's rationality and simplicity, suggesting that the best theories are those that are simple and elegant, reflecting the underlying order in the natural world.

10:06

📚 The Evolution of Scientific Thought

The script reflects on the evolution of scientific thought, from the early beliefs in divine intervention to the modern scientific method. It discusses the transition from Aristotle's four elements to the modern era, marked by the use of experiments for verification. The paragraph highlights the non-linear nature of scientific discovery, which often involves intuition, chance, and trial and error, rather than a strict adherence to a predefined scientific method.

15:07

🔍 The Importance of Simplicity and Predictive Power in Theories

This section emphasizes the characteristics of a good scientific theory, including simplicity, few adjustable parameters, and the ability to explain and predict observations. It introduces the concept of falsifiability by Karl Popper, stating that a theory must be open to experimental disproval. The use of mathematics in science is highlighted as both a boon for simplifying and predicting phenomena and a barrier for those who find it difficult.

20:09

🧪 The Interplay Between Theory, Experiment, and Technology

The script explores the relationship between theory, experiment, and technology in scientific advancement. It explains that while experiments can validate or falsify theories, they cannot prove them. The paragraph also discusses how technology, often based on scientific understanding, can provide new tools for scientific investigation, such as electron microscopy, which in turn can lead to further scientific progress.

25:10

🌌 The Branches of Science and the Quest for Unity

The final paragraph outlines the various branches of science, from particle physics to cosmology, and discusses the goal of finding a unified theory that can explain all physical phenomena. It acknowledges the complexity of the physical world and the division of scientific disciplines to study different scales of existence, while also expressing the aspiration for a 'theory of everything' that would represent the ultimate understanding of the universe.

Keywords

💡Physical World

The 'Physical World' in the video refers to the entirety of things that can be perceived through our five senses or detected through scientific instruments. It includes tangible objects like trees and intangible entities like electrons. The video discusses how our understanding of the physical world is built upon observations and experiments, highlighting the importance of both direct experiences and indirect detections in scientific inquiry.

💡Observables

Observables are the characteristics or properties of phenomena that can be observed and measured. In the context of the video, observables are the clues that guide scientific investigation, such as the shape and color sequence of a rainbow. The video emphasizes that a good scientific theory must account for all observables to be considered valid.

💡Theory

A 'Theory' in the video is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the physical world, based on empirical evidence and logical reasoning. The video explains that theories are built upon observations and experiments, and they must be able to explain all known observables. Theories evolve as new evidence is discovered, and they are the cornerstone of scientific knowledge.

💡Experiments

Experiments are systematic procedures conducted to test hypotheses and gather data. The video underscores the importance of experiments in the scientific method, as they allow for the validation or falsification of theories. They are crucial for understanding phenomena like rainbows and for advancing scientific knowledge.

💡Creativity

Creativity is highlighted in the video as an essential aspect of the scientific process. It involves the ability to make connections between seemingly unrelated observations and to formulate new hypotheses. The video suggests that scientific breakthroughs often require a creative leap, as seen in the historical example of Newton's work on the dispersion of light.

💡Rationality

Rationality in the video refers to the belief that natural phenomena can be explained through logical and systematic thought. It is a fundamental assumption in science that the universe operates according to understandable principles, which can be discovered through observation and reason.

💡Simplicity

Simplicity is valued in scientific theories as it suggests elegance and a closer approximation to the truth. The video argues that good theories are those with few adjustable parameters that can explain a wide range of observations. Simplicity is also linked to the ease with which theories can be tested and understood.

💡Falsifiability

Falsifiability is the ability of a scientific theory to be proven false through empirical testing. The video mentions philosopher Karl Popper's view that a theory must be falsifiable to be considered scientific. This concept is crucial for the advancement of science, as it allows for the refinement and replacement of theories that do not hold up to new evidence.

💡Technology

Technology in the video is portrayed as both a product of scientific understanding and a tool that enables further scientific discovery. It is a two-way relationship where scientific knowledge leads to technological innovations, which in turn provide new means for scientific investigation and data collection.

💡Branches of Science

The video discusses how the vast scope of the physical world has led to the development of various branches of science, each focusing on different scales or aspects of reality. From particle physics to cosmology, and from geology to biology, each branch contributes to our comprehensive understanding of the world.

💡Theory of Everything

The 'Theory of Everything' mentioned in the video refers to the hypothetical framework that would unify all physical laws and theories into a single, coherent model. It symbolizes the ultimate goal of science to find simplicity and unity in the understanding of the universe, encapsulating the pursuit of a grand unifying principle.

Highlights

Definition of the physical world as things perceivable by our senses or detectable through technology.

Rainbows as a simple example to illustrate the scientific method of studying the physical world.

Initial clues for understanding phenomena like rainbows come from observation and prior knowledge.

Characteristics of rainbows, such as shape, color sequence, and position relative to the horizon.

The concept of the secondary rainbow and its differences from the primary.

The importance of the laboratory in recreating and studying natural phenomena like rainbows.

The necessity for a theory to explain all observable aspects of a phenomenon.

The role of creativity in the scientific process and the assembly of a coherent theory.

Historical studies on light properties by Newton and their relevance to understanding rainbows.

The scientific method's idealized process from question to hypothesis to experiment to conclusion.

The misconception that all scientific progress strictly follows the scientific method.

The actual nature of scientific revolutions often involving chance, intuition, and insights.

Attributes of a good theory: simplicity, few adjustable parameters, and explanatory power.

The predictive capability of a good theory and its importance in scientific progress.

Karl Popper's criterion of falsifiability as the most important attribute of a scientific theory.

The use of mathematics in science for simplifying and elegantly presenting theories.

The dual role of mathematics as both a blessing for prediction and a curse for its complexity.

The purpose of experiments in science: to validate or falsify theories, but never to prove them.

The impact of technology on science, with technology often being a product of scientific understanding.

The reciprocal relationship between technology and science, with advancements in one feeding the other.

The branches of science, from particle physics to cosmology, all striving to understand the physical world.

The ultimate goal of science: the search for a unified theory explaining all physical phenomena.

The ongoing quest for the 'theory of everything' and the philosophical implications of such a discovery.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello everyone today I will be talking

about the ways and means on how we study

the physical world but first we are

going to define in today's context what

we mean by physical world so physical

world consists of the things that

manifest through our five senses

like for instance trees we can see them

we can feel them we can touch them you

can taste them if you want music you can

hear it our galaxy we can see them or

rainbows perhaps and it also includes

the things that we cannot readily

observe and usually these things

manifest their existence indirectly

through our use of detectors I'm talking

about things like electrons or the

subatomic particles that we know the

other subatomic particles microwave

ultrasound we know that these things

exist because of the many ways that we

detect them the many ways that we use

them we use electrons we use ultrasound

wheels microwave in our daily activities

that means that we already have the

means to detect control and manipulate

them so this is the physical world that

we mean observable or not as long as

they are a compulsive matter or they

have energy then they belong to our

physical world so how do we proceed so

to give you an idea on how we go about

in studying our physical world I'm going

to give a very simple example for

instance how a rainbow is created we

want to know we want to understand how

rainbows are created in at least in our

atmosphere so where do we start well

initial clues are drawn from our

experience our observations or sometimes

we throw also from our a priori

knowledge about the event so what do we

know about the Rainbows at first glance

well about their shape they always

manifest themselves a circular arc over

the horizon in terms of colors they

always appear in the same arrangement of

colors red orange yellow green blue

indigo violet depending on your

reference literature sometimes the

indigo is removed from the colors what

else do we know what else do we have as

initial clues we also know that they

always appear at the same location

relative to the ground

something like 43 degrees with respect

to the horizon and another clue is that

we always see them in pairs the primary

one is more intense but there is always

a secondary one a little bit higher than

the primary rainbow and it is less

intense that's why most people don't

notice the presence of the secondary

rainbow so you have these clues but you

cannot still answer the question how are

rainbows created but you have blues and

of course you may as well observe the

Train balls usually appear right after

rain on a relatively sunny day and so

perhaps you you hypothesize that water

droplets may have something to do with

the production or the creation of

rainbows and since you they appear

during a relatively sunny day then maybe

perhaps the Sun also as the source of

light has something to do with rainbow

and of course the best way to study

rainbows is your ability

to create them by yourselves so in this

instance the importance of a laboratory

cannot be under stated if you can only

produce rainbows in your laboratory so

that we can study further within the

confines of your own laboratory within

the home part of your laboratory then

you can proceed faster and whatever

theory that you will arrive at in the

end to be able to explain the existence

or the creation of rainbows

they must explain your theory must be

able to explain all the initial clues

that we already present that the Haller

the shape the exact location with

respect to the horizon the presence of

the secondary rainbow which has a

reverse order of colors by the way if

the primary rainbow is Roy gbb the

secondary rainbow is Libra your reverse

in order so your theory should be able

to explain all these observables but

then you might also need further clues

from sometimes seemingly unrelated

observations you cannot explain of

course I am talking with the benefit of

hindsight because I already know how

rainbows are created you cannot explain

how rainbows are created without

invoking certain properties of light and

this properties of light have been

studied centuries before us in fact we

order the arrangement of color to the

pioneering study conducted by Newton

Newton observed that when you pass light

the visible light through a prism the

light bends and some colors Bend more

than other colors that's why they don't

bend at the same angle some are less

bent and some are more bent so that

gives us the arrangement

colors so you have to draw from the

results of that experiment so suppose

you know these things and to piece them

together it takes creativity to put

these things together to tie these

things up to make them part of a single

puzzle it takes creativity that's why we

also say that science is a creative

human endeavor so upon tying these

things up you now have a very good

picture on how rainbows are created you

know how the theory and your theory as

far as you are concerned because you

were able to explain all the

observations to account for all of those

clues that we have been countered in the

actual rainbow or in the simulated

rainbow in your laboratory then you have

a reason to believe your theory and

these theories theories like this this

make up the science that we know and

after you have put all these things

together you now come up with probably a

statement we of course utmost confidence

on how rainbows are created this is what

we call a theory and theories like this

is what builds science science is not

only a way of knowing the process that

we undertake towards knowing but it is

also about the results the results of

our investigation

the results of our seeking for answers

and this resource is of course these

results are embodied on a theory so we

say that we study physical world through

science not only in numerating the

observables but also being able to fix

on certain laws that govern the

existence of things

and of course being able to explain the

characteristics the observables and all

the clues in science there is always

this underlying faith in the existence

of rationality we say that nature or

parts of nature follow and orderly and

predictable patterns governed by fixed

laws ever since we took away as the main

cause

divine intervention or the whims of the

gods like why why is there a storm

because our ancestors might say because

the gods willed it so maybe we did

something bad and the gods are punishing

us ever since we abandoned that paradigm

we abandon that thinking that belief

that is the true start or the true birth

of science as a way of knowing so we

always have this underlying faith that

things can be explained in a logical or

rational manner that all phenomena

behave in a rational manner there is

also another underlying faith in its

simplicity we assume that these laws are

simple enough for man to be able to

discover and at the same time comprehend

simplicity by the way is one virtue of a

good theory if a theory can explain a

certain phenomenon but it is made up of

a lot of assumptions of a lot of

adjustable parameters then it's not a

good theory because it's a very

complicated theory in science there is

more probability that the theory is

correct when it is a lot simpler than a

competing theory and may I warn you

about the use of the word correct in

here when I say correct it's not a

permanent thing it may be correct up to

the

point in time only because we can never

tell when somebody can make an

observation that cannot be explained by

this cotton code correct theory so we

study the physical world through science

starting from the days of Aristotle

Aristotle gave us a very simple science

around 300 BCE the main characteristic

of that science is the simplicity of its

theory remember only four elements in

the whole world the fifth element does

not reside in our world it resides up

there it's called the quintessence

perfection it's the fifth element from

the Earth's Italian time to modern

science around 1700 see the Common Era

the only addition to the simplicity of

theory is our use of experimental

verifications so the characteristic of

science during our civilian time is

simplicity while the characteristics of

modern science from 1700 up to our time

is simplicity plus experiments science

is as I said a while ago a creative

human enterprise we have been thought

since we were kids in our primary years

that science proceeds in a well-defined

recipe if you may called the scientific

method and in scientific method you

start with a question a curiosity or a

problem and then you make a guess this

guess is what we call technically as

hypotheses so you list down all probable

answers as many as you can

and then you start observing you start

conducting your experiments through your

experiments one by one you eliminate the

hypotheses until only a single one

remains and then at the end you

say that this is the most probable

reason or this is the most probable

answer that is the scientific method but

in truth

very rarely do we investigate using the

scientific method most of the scientific

revolutions that we have going back to

the years of the modern the so-called

modern scientists actually were products

of chance intuition insights trial and

error it's a quantum leap sometimes from

a logical deduction to that crucial

intuition there's nothing in between

there is no way of explaining how this

particular scientists arrived from point

A to point B such is the case of Bohr's

hydrogen atom when explain why the

hydrogen atom is very stable

nobody can provide a proof that would

lead to those quantization of orbits so

some authors would call it a

misconception whenever we attribute a

scientific method to every scientific

inquiry and as I have said after the

most of the things that we know today

are products of things other than the

scientific method but it is true it is

always true that science progresses

through two things the use of

mathematics and the use of experiments

so we asked ourselves what makes a good

theory a good theory should be simple it

must have very few adjustable parameters

or the use of constants that we insert

in those terms so that it will give a

number that is in agreement with

observed

or measure number from experiments the

simple parameters that you have the

better the theory is and of course it

must be able to explain all the past and

current observations and at the same

time it has the ability to predict what

happens when certain conditions are not

met when certain conditions are changed

so science has this predictive

capability a good theory has this

predictive capability and according to

the philosopher of science Karl Popper

the most important attribute of a good

theory is that it must allow for

falsification it should be falsifiable

there should be a clear-cut experimental

design that could result in things that

would falsify the theory if it doesn't

allow for falsification then it's it's

an overly encompassing theory there is

no way to know if it is wrong because it

is never if it is right because it is

never wrong so theory and mathematics on

the other hand this is both a blessing

and a bane it is a blessing because when

science came up with the theory and that

theory is expressed in its ultimate form

using the language of mathematics we are

able to summarize everything into a

single mathematical sentence most of the

time for instance Faraday's law in

electromagnetism when Faraday I

completed his series of experiments he

summarizes observations and results and

conclusions he was able to come up with

two volumes of books this stick and it

doesn't contain a single equation

because Faraday was not that much adept

in mathematics and Maxwell summarized

those two volume books of Faraday in a

single equation

so mathematics makes the presentation of

theories more simple and more elegant

and at the same time if you know how to

manipulate mathematics if you know how

to do mathematics then you have a way of

predicting what will happen to a certain

variable when certain parameters are

changed and there is your predictive

capability I said it is also a bane this

also occurs because ever since science

adapted the use of mathematics as its

main language science became so very

difficult to some people who have this

natural aversion of mathematics in fact

studies show that what makes science

difficult is not the science because the

concepts of science are very very simple

easy to understand that's what good

theories are but it's the language that

it use the mathematics that it use so

it's a blessing and a curse the use of

mathematics theory and experiment so

what is the use of experiment aside from

providing a chance to falsify a theory

so experiments are used actually in

order for us to gain more observables

measure quantities gain clues gather

clues and order for us to develop a very

good theory and when the theory is made

when the theory is done because it has

this predictive capacity then we also

design experiments that might falsify

the theory if there is no experiment

that can falsify the theory then as we

have learned a while ago the theory is

no good if it doesn't allow for

falsification so if you take a look at

in general theory of relativity it

actually provided in its claim that

light is affected by gravity it provided

an opportunity for an experiment to

disprove him and that's what Sir Arthur

Eddington D we went to Africa to conduct

an experiment that would in all

probability falsify Einstein's general

theory of relativity well as it turned

out what Eddington measured was in

agreement with what Einstein predicted

and so that was the start when we

started embracing the general theory of

relativity of Einstein because a

landmark experiment agree with what the

theory predicted so that's how important

experiments are they validate the theory

but also they falsify the theory

experiments however cannot prove a

theory even if you already have

conducted a million experiments and they

all agreed to the theory a single

experiment that does not agree with the

theory makes the theory no longer viable

no longer correct in our sense of

correctness just a single experiment can

do that so the main purpose therefore of

experiment is simply falsification /

validation but never proving the theory

so we therefore say the theories are

accepted until such time that the

particular observation comes along that

does not agree with the theory and it is

time to look for a better theory it

doesn't necessarily mean that the theory

is wrong if you compare Newtonian

mechanics with Einstein's relativity

theory actually Einstein did not

of Newtonian mechanics what the

relativity theory did to mechanics is

that it just relegated it into a limited

applicability we now know that for very

fast motion we can no longer use

Newtonian laws if we are expecting

accuracy or precision we have to use the

relativistic mechanics according to

Einstein we now know that for very very

small particles we can no longer use

Newtonian laws we have to use the loss

resulting from quantum mechanics but I

repeat this do not mean that Newtonian

laws are wrong because for all practical

purposes as far as we are concerned

based on our daily experience we are not

living in subatomic world we do not

experience speed close to the speed of

light we are very slow and very big

particles therefore as far as we are

concerned Newtonian mechanics is still a

correct theory

what about technology what is the

contribution of technology to science

it's actually a two-way relationship

most technology that we know are based

from understanding provided by science

the ability to manipulate to tamper with

to control to troubleshoot a certain

phenomenon that is that ability is given

to us by science which provided us the

basic understanding of that phenomena

and so we have this technology for

example the technology of electron

microscopy that technology was only made

possible when we understood the nature

of electrons when we understood how to

produce electrons with different

energies when we understood that

electrons behave like waves sometimes as

all matter

the behaviors particle but sometimes

they behave as wave the so called

wave particle duality so our creativity

our ingenious ability for design allow

us to come up with this electron

microscope and what that does the

electron microscope do as far as

scientific progress is concerned it

allows us better degree of visualization

imaging we can now study insects very

small insects bacteria cells and so on

so this added capability provided by

technology gives back to science a

certain crucial steps towards further

progress and because of the nature of

our physical world from the very small

very to the very big from the very slow

to the very fast in the process of

studying our physical world we came up

with several branches of science that we

know today from the sub-atomic domain

which is of course the domain of the

particle physicists we call it particle

physics to the study of the nucleus the

nuclear physics and to the largest

dimension that we know probably the

radius or the diameter of the known

universe that is the discipline of

cosmologists geology the study of the

earth or we can extend its definition to

the study of other planets chemistry of

molecules biology also of cells of

life-forms and so on all of these

branches are rose from our single

objective of making sense of the

physical world but since there are many

so many things to study we begin to

allocate or apportion this

lots of things into several branches of

science now it is faith in simplicity

the ultimate goal of science is the

search for unity the search for the

theory that could explain everything the

search for the theory that could explain

gravitation and electromagnetism at the

same time in a single equation the

search for a theory that could explain

black holes and the shape of chicken

eggs and that is the holy grail of

science most people believe that that

theory exists that we can succeed in

looking for that theory that so-called

the theory of everything and there's no

telling if ever we will come to that

point and thank you that's how we study

the physical world

[Music]

you