Science and speculation
Posted on: September 12, 2007 - 9:46pm
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Science and speculation
My last topic brought up the idea of speculation in science. Should we speculate with science?
I personally would think that science would be incrediably boring if we couldn't speculate, if we couldn't use our imaginations to wonder. Hence my sig:
The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true sceince. Whosoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed ~Albert Einstein
That's the full quote. I had to shorten it for my sig.
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Science speculates all the time. That's how hypotheses are formed.
The problem arises once the testing of hypotheses comes in. Speculation is not a real explanation for anything. It's not wrong to do it, but it's wrong to offer it as an official explanation.
The scientific method must be used before we accept something as fact.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
I'm talking about possibly non-testable speculation such as what happens in Black Holes, or what happened before the Planck era for example.
Speculation in the scientific method is called forming a hypothesis.
However, what I think you mean is more than just that. I think you mean what is the role of the imagination with respect to science. And to that I answer: Science fiction!
What if.....? Probably the most profound question we can ask.
Thank you for illustrating yet again the importance of that word, wonder.
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Well, I'm not well-versed on either of those things, but I would say that groundless speculation is technically not science.
If you're just taking a shot in the dark and throwing out some purely invented guess about what happens in black holes, then that's not exactly science, no.
But if we're basing our speculation on other scientific data, then we would be moving from mere speculation to making educated guesses, which is completely different.
Speculation is the first step of the scientific method. So in that sense, it can be scientific. But it can also be unscientific.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Is this going to end in another unholy union of Sagan and The Matrix?
HOW DID YOU KNOW?!?!!?
There is no spoon.
Oh, wait, there it is.