1answer.
Ask question
Login Signup
Ask question
All categories
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Business
  • History
  • Health
  • Geography
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Computers and Technology
  • Arts
  • World Languages
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
  • SAT
  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Engineering
vlada-n [284]
3 years ago
6

Science is often defined inadequately as “an organized body of knowledge.” This would make cookbooks, Sears, Roebuck catalogues,

and telephone books science, which they are not. Sometimes science is defined simply as rationality, but that would make much of theology and metaphysics science, which they are not. Rationality is logical consistency, lack of contradiction. It is to be distinguished from reasonableness, the quality of a mind open to arguments and evidence opposed to its beliefs: a willingness to reconsider. Rationalists can be quite unreasonable or dogmatic. Rationalist metaphysicians and theologians are often certain about premises which come from intuition or revelation. Even paranoiacs may be thought of as rationalists, for they are commonly most rigorous in reasoning. But their premises, which they cling to in spite of all evidence, are absurd.
WHAT SCIENCE IS

Science is empirical, rational, general, and cumulative; and it is all four at once. Science is empirical in that all its conclusions are subject to test by sense experience. Observation is the base on which science rests, but scientific observation is more than keeping one’s eyes open. It is observation made by qualified observers under controlled conditions of those things which confirm or disconfirm, verify or refute a theory. Sherlock Holmes* could tell by the stains on a vest what a man had eaten for breakfast. From a number of such observations he arrived at a theory about why and how a particular crime was committed. This procedure is excellent for detection but insufficient for science, because it yields only knowledge of particular events. Science would go on to ask why and how crime, not a particular crime, is committed. Science uses facts to test general theories and general theories to make predictions about particular facts.

Scientific observations may be made of things as they exist, like the color of an apple or the temperature of the air, or it may be made of what results from an experiment. An experiment is the deliberate manipulation of conditions in order to bring about what we want to observe. If we want to test the hypothesis that a new plastic can withstand two hundred pounds of pressure without crumbling, we may have to create a situation in which such pressure is applied to a piece of the plastic, because it is unlikely that the situation already exists anywhere in the world, or if it does, that all other factors are kept constant. In some sciences, like astronomy, we do not sufficiently control the subject matter to experiment on it—although we do control the conditions of observation—and we distinguish those sciences from others, like chemistry, in which experiment is possible, by calling the latter “experimental sciences.”

Although all scientific thought ultimately rests on observation, there are vast portions of it which are entirely rational: analysis of the meaning of terms, deductions from existent theories, explorations of the logical relations among concepts and among theories. Logic is applied to science constantly because logic contains the rules of valid thinking. The application of mathematics is often thought, erroneously, to be an index of the status of any science. Of course, the more it can be applied usefully within a science, the more advanced the science. For mathematics functions both as a language in which scientific laws are stated, giving them the utmost precision, elegance, and economy, and as the basis of measurement. Many of the most significant advances in physics, astronomy, and chemistry have depended on advances in and application of mathematics. Without calculus the work of Isaac Newton would have been impossible. Yet great scientific work in other fields, performed by men like Pasteur, Darwin, and Pavlov (with whose names pasteurization, evolution, and conditioned response in psychology are associated), has used little or no mathematics.

In the final sentence of the first paragraph, the authors choose to use the word “absurd” in order to



A- demonstrate that even sound premises can lead to irrational conclusions

B- argue that evidence that seems illogical should not be considered by scientists

C-emphasize a previous distinction between rationality and reasonableness

D- imply that too much rigor can lead to nonsensical inferences

E- convey disdain for those who display uncertainty about their premises
English
1 answer:
frez [133]3 years ago
4 0

Answer:

I think the answer is D-imply that too much rigor can lead to nonsensical inferences

Explanation:

You might be interested in
Read the following paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].
Andrej [43]

Answer:

Swarbrick is young compared with other parliamentarians, and she feels that the older generation cannot understand the threat of global warming.

Explanation:

The given passage is from the text titled <em>"OK, boomer, " retorts lawmaker to heckler during climate change meeting </em>.

It tells about Chlöe Swarbrick's speech in the New Zealand Parliament. Bringing the attention of the rest of the parliament to an important issue, climate change, she mentions her age, emphasizing that it will be the younger generations who will be dealing with the consequences of global warming, not most of the members of the parliament, who will no longer be its members in a couple of decades. They do not understand the threat of global warming, which is why they are not paying attention to it, despite the fact they should.

This is why the third option is the correct one.

7 0
3 years ago
describe thomas jefferson's purpose for writing the declaration of independence. then, analyze how his use of parallelism helps
Hatshy [7]

To explain to foreign countries why the colonies seperated themselves from great britain

The Revolutionary War had already begun, and several major battles had already taken place. The American colonies had already cut most major ties to England, and had established their own congress, currency, army, and post office. On June 7, 1776, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Richard Henry Lee voiced a resolution that the United States should be completely free of England's influence, and that all political ties between the two countries should be dissolved. Congress agreed and began plans to publish a formal declaration of independence and appointed a committee of five members to draft the declaration.

4 0
3 years ago
What is participle in this sentence: The curtain opened, and I steppedinto thecbrightly shining lights.
Virty [35]

Opened. A participle is a word formed by a verb. Example: Going, Gone, being, been. Etc

5 0
3 years ago
Is new york city a rural,urban or suburban communityexplain
vivado [14]
New York is an Urban community. Urban communities generally have high population densities as well as a large number of commercial buildings, houses, roads etc. A suburban community is generally located in the outskirts of a city or urban neighborhood. These generally have more houses and less commercial buildings and the like. Lastly a rural community is located outside the urban community and has a low population density. 
6 0
3 years ago
In order not to be late to school
ella [17]
Try going to bed at a reasonable time.
5 0
3 years ago
Other questions:
  • please hurry!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read this excerpt from chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter. Before this ugly edifice, and between it and t
    13·2 answers
  • PLEASE IDENTIFY TYPE / FUNCTION / MODIFIED WORDS FOR THE PHRASES AND CLAUSES (between brackets) BELOW:
    11·1 answer
  • Best type of news for "Editor response" Hello, this is my first time doing this type of news paper exercise, and I don't really
    14·1 answer
  • What seems to be mrs. pocket’s chief concern in life
    7·1 answer
  • What’s a slant rhyme ?
    11·2 answers
  • Please help first gets brainliest
    5·1 answer
  • Which excerpt from chapter 1 of animal farm is an example of direct characterization?
    7·2 answers
  • write an article for publication in one of the national newspapers on the topic :The usefulness of mobile phone​
    14·1 answer
  • Judy Blume's career as an American writer spans four decades and includes many literary awards. She is most famous for her novel
    14·1 answer
  • They never tell the truth,..............? ( add a question tag)​
    6·1 answer
Add answer
Login
Not registered? Fast signup
Signup
Login Signup
Ask question!