Science Intro

 Science Intro: A Way of Knowing

 

            Science is the practice of a method of understanding and communication. It may be called the scientific method. This method can be a great help in self-development and in being a successful human being.

            As you become better acquainted with this method of understanding you can become a more effective person. You will also develop a better understanding of the sciences in general and in each individual science, even ytterbiumology.

            The scientific method generally includes the following doings: observation, identification/recognition, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena. So, a scientist observes a doing or happening and begins to "explain" it. The method is much about how she does ir. That is, how you do it may be more important than what you do.

            To be well started, let's define some of our terms. We can begin with the word 'science.' At the beginning we see that science simply means 'knowledge', the business of knowing. Just how one knows is a serious subject. A subject we could check into later. Early in its history science became knowledge gained by 'study' and then quickly came to be the study of particular and specific subjects. Like us, science carries most of its history into the present. In its more modern meaning it has come to mean the technical and mathematical study of a subject. However, the basic method of doing science is both a simpler and more powerful attitude then one might suppose. 

            We already know that 'method' means 'the way how.' So, science is a particular way of understanding, a particularly effective way of understanding. 

            It may be useful to remember that the suffix -ology means study. So, for example, anthropology is the study of the human species, of humanity in most of its aspects. It has often been a comparative study of behavior, biology, and societies. Whereas biology is the natural scientific study of life  and living organisms. It is one of the more nicely developed sciences. Cells and genes are now important aspects of this study.

            It is important that a person interested in science have an understanding of the nature of scientific: observation, identification, explanation, researching, theoretical description and the like. Also developing their ability to recognize and observe natural phenomena is an aid to their use of scientific methodology.

            So, to gain scientific knowledge and to communicate is useful to understand concepts of the method and its vocabulary. When interests is shown I hope to be able write more on the methods of science. I believe that you already have an understanding of the scientific method as a way many have found useful for gaining practical, productive knowledge and for communicating that knowledge.

            You probably already have the understanding that science is well begun and carried out with studied and practiced observation. The ways of scientific observation are important to the development of knowledge. My dictionary has this to say about 'to observe:' to notice, to perceive, to watch attentively, to make a systematic or scientific observation. "Systematic." That implies that there is a system which can be learned. It seems that the way of a scientific doing is, at least, as important as the what.

            Observation is the act of observing; that is, the act of noting and recording of a phenomena, doing, or happening, perhaps with instruments. Observation might lead to  developing a judgement or inference. What are the methods for developing a judgement or inference!

            "Identify" could be our next term to examine. If you would like me to continue some sort of exposition of science, please leave a comment to that effect in the "comment" window below. 

            Identifying a phenomena is, in large part, for the purpose of being able to recognize the phenomena yourself and to enable others to also recognize it. There is more to say about the recognizing/identifying part of our scientific process, but i will leave that for another time.

            Oh, yes. Ytterbiumology is beyond my present knowledge, still it can be studied and known. Its a chemical element with the symbol Yb and atomic number 70. I may not live long enough to get deeply into the study of this element. Perhaps you can tell us more about it.

            Thanks for reading.

 

 

                                                                                                  RCS

                                                

Science: Early Notes

 RCS Posts: Introducing science. The practice of science is a way to understanding.

 

            Science is the practice of a method of understanding and of communicating that understanding. Some say that science may be defined by the scientific method. This method can be a good aid to  self development and too becoming a more successful human being.

 

            By becoming better acquainted with this method one becomes a more knowing individual. One gains a better understanding of all the sciences. One may even discover a useful scientific attitude toward one's world. 

 

            The scientific method generally includes the following doings: observation, identification, recognition, discovery, experimentation, and the theoretical explanation of natural phenomena. So, a scientist observes a doing or happening, tests it, and begins to explain it. The method is how he does this. How one does it may be more important than what one does. 

 

            If you feel yourself getting interested in science you can benefit much by gaining a more fulsome understanding of the vocabulary of the paragraph above including: phenomena, identification, theoretical, recognition, and discovery. You may benefit more by asking for the scientific meaning of each. Two places you can do that are by checking online and by asking me to elaborate.

 

            "Science" is, at heart, knowledge. It has come to name a special way of gaining that knowledge. That special way has come to be called the "scientific method." The method is not complicated. However, skill in its use needs to be developed. Science is a way of coming to know; a powerful way. It is also an effective way of communicating that knowledge.

 

            The scientific method is the main way science is done. 

 

            Now that you are likely to be realizing that the scientific method is a practical and productive way of gaining knowledge, let me assure you that is also for gaining a useful understanding of each of the many individual sciences.

            The process of science and the gaining of all knowledge is often best begun with observation. You can check out some of the ways of observation online. Also let me know what you want to know more of. I will be please to share whatever I know.

 

I            I suppose that you now get that I believe that observation is important to the doing of science and, indeed, to most knowledge getting. What one does is observe. That is done by using one's senses and is best done by searching carefully. How you do it may include the use of instrumentation. It is done attentively, noting, and recording. Observation can lead to developing to a judgement or inference. Where might it all lead!

            Identification is the next step in the method. There are ways of conducting the process of identification. Those ways may differ from science to science. However, the way of identification can inclued the finding of: the origin of a phenomenon, its nature, and its definitive elements. For certain sciences it might be to detrmaine its taxonomic classification.

            Just below the end of this post there is a window in which you may make corrections and additions to this content, and also to ask questions and make comments. You may begin that procecess or to explore it click on "comments" there. Should you encounter "no coments" clock anyway.

            As you continue to learn more about science you will come to understand more including public health issuse and scientific reporting. You may find yourself being attracted to a specific  science. Every on can have a favorite science. Or, you may finding yourself asking for the details of the effectivness of a new drug, or for a better exposition of the evidence, and stuff like that. 

            You could find yourself reminding a friend that the correlation between two variables does nor mean that one one causes the other, and maybe even giving a clear explanation of why that is a fact.

             Your interest may lead you to an interest in the politics of research and health policy decisions or that of access science.

 

            You may find another science related posts on this blog.

 

            Thank you for reading.

 

 

             

            

 

A Method of Undstanding and Way to Knowledge

RCS Posts Science including: phenomena, inference, observation, and method

 

                Science is the practice of a method of understanding and of communication. It may be called the scientific method. This method can be a great help in self-development and in being a successful human being.

                As you become better acquainted with this method of understanding you become a more effective person. You will also develop a better understanding of the sciences in general and of each individual science, even ytterbiumology.

                The scientific method generally includes the following doings: observation, identification/recognition, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena. So, a scientist observes a doing or happening and begins to explain it. The method is much about how she does this. That is, how you do it may be more important than what you do.

                To start well, lets try to define some of our terms. We can begin with the word 'science.' Starting at the beginning we see that science means knowledge, the business of knowing. Just how one knows is a serious subject. A subject we could check into later. Early in its history science became knowledge gained  by study. Science brings its history with it. It still means knowledge and it still means knowledge gained by study. The science quickly came to be the study of particular and specific subjects. In its more modern meaning it has come to mean the technical and mathematical study  of a subject. However the basic method of doing science is both a simpler and more powerful attitude then one might suppose.

                We already know that "method" means "the way how." So, science is a particular way of understanding, a particularly effective way of understanding. It may be useful to remember that the suffix -ology means study. So, anthropology is the study of human species, of humanity in most of its aspects. It has often been a comparative study of behavior, biology, societies. Whereas biology is the natural scientific study of life and of living organisms. It is one of the more nicely developed sciences. Cells and genes are now important factors in this study.

                It is important that a person interested in science develop a good grasp on the nature of scientific: observation, identification, explanation, knowing, researching,  and theoretical description. Also to develop their ability to recognize and observe natural phenomena is helpful to their use of scientific methodology.

                To gain and to communicate scientific knowledge one needs to become familiar with its concepts and vocabulary. As interest is shown, I hope to write more on the topic. I believe that you already have an understanding of the scientific method as a way many have found useful for gaining practical, productive knowledge and of communicating that knowledge.

                You probably already have the understanding that science is well begun and carried out with studied and practiced observation. 

                The ways of scientific observation are important to the development of knowledge. My dictionary says this about "to observe:" to notice, to perceive, to watch attentively, to make a scientific or systematic observation. "Systematic," that implies that there is a system to be learned. It seems that the way of a scientific doing is, at least, as the what.

                Observation is the act of observing; that is the act of noting and recording of a phenomena, doing, or happening, perhaps with instruments. Observation might lead to developing a judgement or inference. What are the methods for developing a judgement or an inference!

                "Identify" could be our next term to examine. If you would like me to continue some sort of exposition of science, please leave a comment to that effect in the "comment" window below.

                Identifying a phenomena is, in large part, for the purpose of being able to recognize the phenomena yourself and to enable others to also recognize it. There is more to say about the recognize/identify part of of our scientific process,  but I will leave it for another time.

                Oh, yes. Ytterbiumology is beyond my present knowledge; still it can be studied, known, and used. Its a chemical element with the symbol Yb and atomic number of 70. I may not live long enough to get deeply into the study of this element. Perhaps you can tell us more about it.

RCS