The Truth of Science

by Roger G. Newton

Author	: Roger G. Newton
Publisher	: Harvard University Press
Total Pages	: 286
Release	: 1997
Genre	: Philosophy
ISBN	: 9780674910928

GET BOOK

It's not a scientific truth that has come into question lately but the truth--the very notion of scientific truth. Bringing a reasonable voice to the culture wars that have sprung up around this notion, this book offers a clear and constructive response to those who contend, in parodies, polemics and op-ed pieces, that there really is no such thing as verifiable objective truth--without which there could be no such thing as scientific authority. A distinguished physicist with a rare gift for making the most complicated scientific ideas comprehensible, Roger Newton gives us a guided tour of the intellectual structure of physical science. From there he conducts us through the understanding of reality engendered by modern physics, the most theoretically advanced of the sciences. With its firsthand look at models, facts, and theories, intuition and imagination, the use of analogies and metaphors, the importance of mathematics (and now, computers), and the "virtual" reality of the physics of micro-particles, The Truth of Science truly is a practicing scientist's account of the foundations, processes, and value of science. To claims that science is a social construction, Newton answers with the working scientist's credo: "A body of assertions is true if it forms a coherent whole and works both in the external world and in our minds." The truth of science, for Newton, is nothing more or less than a relentless questioning of authority combined with a relentless striving for objectivity in the full awareness that the process never ends. With its lucid exposition of the ideals, methods, and goals of science, his book performs a great feat in service of this truth.

An Instinct for Truth

by Robert T. Pennock

Author	: Robert T. Pennock
Publisher	: MIT Press
Total Pages	: 449
Release	: 2019-08-13
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 0262042584

GET BOOK

An exploration of the scientific mindset—such character virtues as curiosity, veracity, attentiveness, and humility to evidence—and its importance for science, democracy, and human flourishing. Exemplary scientists have a characteristic way of viewing the world and their work: their mindset and methods all aim at discovering truths about nature. In An Instinct for Truth, Robert Pennock explores this scientific mindset and argues that what Charles Darwin called “an instinct for truth, knowledge, and discovery” has a tacit moral structure—that it is important not only for scientific excellence and integrity but also for democracy and human flourishing. In an era of “post-truth,” the scientific drive to discover empirical truths has a special value. Taking a virtue-theoretic perspective, Pennock explores curiosity, veracity, skepticism, humility to evidence, and other scientific virtues and vices. He explains that curiosity is the most distinctive element of the scientific character, by which other norms are shaped; discusses the passionate nature of scientific attentiveness; and calls for science education not only to teach scientific findings and methods but also to nurture the scientific mindset and its core values. Drawing on historical sources as well as a sociological study of more than a thousand scientists, Pennock's philosophical account is grounded in values that scientists themselves recognize they should aspire to. Pennock argues that epistemic and ethical values are normatively interconnected, and that for science and society to flourish, we need not just a philosophy of science, but a philosophy of the scientist.

Making Truth

by Theodore L. Brown

Author	: Theodore L. Brown
Publisher	: University of Illinois Press
Total Pages	: 242
Release	: 2003
Genre	: Education
ISBN	: 9780252028106

GET BOOK

A new perspective on how scientists reason about the world, design and interpret experiments and communicate with one another and with the larger society outside science.

The Way of Science

by Dennis R. Trumble

Author	: Dennis R. Trumble
Publisher	: Prometheus Books
Total Pages	: 348
Release	: 2013-07-16
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 1616147563

GET BOOK

How science can convey a profound sense of wonder, connectedness, and optimism about the human condition. This book makes a compelling case that now more than ever the public at large needs to appreciate the critical-thinking tools that science has to offer and be educated in basic science literacy. The author emphasizes that the methods and facts of science are accessible to everyone, and that, contrary to popular belief, understanding science does not require extraordinary intelligence. He also notes that scientific rationality and critical thinking are not only good for our physical well-being but also are fully in sync with our highest moral codes. He illustrates the many ways in which the scientific worldview offers a profound sense of wonder, connectedness, and optimism about the human condition, an inspiring perspective that satisfies age-old spiritual aspirations. At a time of daunting environmental challenges and rampant misinformation, this book provides a welcome corrective and reason to hope for the future.

Science, Truth, And Meaning: From Wonder To Understanding

by Benjamin L J Webb

Author	: Benjamin L J Webb
Publisher	: World Scientific
Total Pages	: 721
Release	: 2022-04-07
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 9811231915

GET BOOK

Science, Truth, and Meaning presents a scientific and philosophical examination of our place in the world. It also celebrates how diverse, scientific knowledge is interconnected and reducible to common foundations.The book focuses on aspects of scientific truth that relate to our understanding of reality, and confronts whether truth is absolute or relative to what we are. Hence, it assesses the meaning of the scientific deductions we have made and how they have profoundly influenced our conception of life and existence.The subtitle is 'From Wonder to Understanding', which is a paraphrased quote from Einstein, who said that the search for scientific truth is ' ... a continual flight from wonder to understanding'.In addressing the goal of advancing our understanding of our place in the world, this book also reveals the development and details of diverse sciences, their connections and achievements, and that while perhaps the same fundamental questions exist, they are seen in the light of an ever-refined scientific perspective on reality.Why the book is needed: many popular science books have been written, aimed at different levels of subject expertise, and nearly all treat their specific subject in isolation. Few attempt to link different sciences to their common foundations, and those that do are written by physicists. Since human knowledge is derived by, and relates to, the biological organism that human beings are, then such a book written from a biological perspective represents a novel perspective on the integration of science, and addresses new questions. This is such a book.Impressive aspects: the depth, breadth, consistency, and clarity of the work.

Betrayers of the Truth

by William J. Broad

Author	: William J. Broad
Publisher	: Touchstone
Total Pages	: 256
Release	: 1983
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 9780671495497

GET BOOK

Examines instances of scientific fraud in research areas ranging from astronomy and physics to biology and medicine, and assesses the influence of huge monetary rewards and enormous research organizations on corruption in science

Tillich

by Donald W. Musser

Author	: Donald W. Musser
Publisher	: Abingdon Press
Total Pages	: 101
Release	: 2010-02-01
Genre	: Religion
ISBN	: 1426764561

GET BOOK

Abingdon Pillars of Theology is a series for the college and seminary classroom designed to help students grasp the basic and necessary facts, influence, and significance of major theologians. Written by major scholars, these books will outline the context, methodology, organizing principles, primary contributions, and major writings of people who have shaped theology as we know it today. "Tillich served as a theological pioneer, exploring boundaries and traversing creatively between the territories of philosophy and theology, between the faith and culture, between Christianity and Buddhism, between the academy and the public. He was a thinker who theorized about everything and who attempted to show what matters and why." from the book

The Last Book

by John Williams

Author	: John Williams
Publisher	: Lulu.com
Total Pages	: 336
Release	: 2007-08-27
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 1847990843

GET BOOK

There have been many attempts to explain life. For the most part they are variants on a religious or mystical theme. These provide a purpose to life but not the purpose of life. A full, rational explanation of our existence based on our rapidly accumulating scientific knowledge has eluded us - until now. The explanation of life which is offered in this book draws on three main components: evolution, genetics and psychology. However, something exists in our mind which stops us from seeing clearly what is already before us. Once this block is removed we can view life objectively and see it as a special form of information which has arisen through evolution. Information is identified as the unifying entity of the universe which is inherent in the spatial arrangement of matter. This book relates these findings to our world and our lives. It sets out in rational terms where we came from, how we got here and finally, reveals our destiny. www.thelastbook.co.uk

After

by Bruce Greyson, M.D.

Author	: Bruce Greyson, M.D.
Publisher	: St. Martin's Essentials
Total Pages	: 182
Release	: 2021-03-02
Genre	: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN	: 1250263042

GET BOOK

The world's leading expert on near-death experiences reveals his journey toward rethinking the nature of death, life, and the continuity of consciousness. Cases of remarkable experiences on the threshold of death have been reported since ancient times, and are described today by 10% of people whose hearts stop. The medical world has generally ignored these “near-death experiences,” dismissing them as “tricks of the brain” or wishful thinking. But after his patients started describing events that he could not just sweep under the rug, Dr. Bruce Greyson began to investigate. As a physician without a religious belief system, he approached near-death experiences from a scientific perspective. In After, he shares the transformative lessons he has learned over four decades of research. Our culture has tended to view dying as the end of our consciousness, the end of our existence—a dreaded prospect that for many people evokes fear and anxiety. But Dr. Greyson shows how scientific revelations about the dying process can support an alternative theory. Dying could be the threshold between one form of consciousness and another, not an ending but a transition. This new perspective on the nature of death can transform the fear of dying that pervades our culture into a healthy view of it as one more milestone in the course of our lives. After challenges us to open our minds to these experiences and to what they can teach us, and in so doing, expand our understanding of consciousness and of what it means to be human.