3.3 The Nature of Modern Science

Figure 3.14 – Science has predictive power. As a simple example, the idea that Earth is round and rotating leads to the prediction that hurricanes and other large storm systems should swirl in opposite directions (around low-pressure regions, denoted L) in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This photo shows that this is indeed the case, as storms swirl counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Credit: NOAA

You’ve been learning about science since you were very young, and we’ve used the word “science” a lot in this book already. But what exactly is science?

This question turns out to be surprisingly difficult to answer in a simple way. The word “science” comes from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge,” but not all knowledge is science. For example, you may know what music you like best, but your musical preference is not a result of scientific study. Defining what constitutes science therefore requires that we look more deeply at how science differs from other methods for acquiring knowledge. As we will see, the Copernican revolution can help us do this, so we will use it as a case study as we discuss the nature of science in this section.

Section Learning Goals

By the end of this section, you should be able to answer the following questions:

  1. How does science work?
  2. What is a “theory” in science?
  3. What is the value of science?

Before you continue, take a few minutes to discuss the above Learning Goal questions in small groups or as a class. For example, you might discuss what (if anything) you already know about the answers to these questions; what you think you’ll need to learn in order to be able to answer the questions; and whether there are any aspects of the questions, or other related questions, that you are particularly interested in.

Connections—Etymology

The Latin Root Scientia

The Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge,” lies at the root of other common words besides just the word “science.” For example, it is a root in the words “conscience,” “omniscience,” and “prescience.” Look up each of these words and then briefly explain how they are related to the idea of knowledge. Can you think of any other terms that also use this root?

Show Teachers Notes

This particular Connections box requires students to look up a few words that will help them both in understanding the word science and in building vocabulary. In terms of the explanations that students will hopefully come up with:

  • conscience: literally means “with knowledge,” so doing something consciously means doing it with understanding of your actions.
  • omniscience: The Latin omni means “all,” so this word literally means “all knowing.” For example, theologians often say that God is omniscient, meaning that he knows all.
  • prescience: literally means “before knowledge,” which is why being prescient refers to anticipating something before it occurs.

Group Discussion

Science and Our Daily Lives

Work in small groups or as a class to do the following.

  1. Make a list of at least ten things that we use in our daily lives.
  2. For each item on the list, decide whether modern science is important to its existence, and if so, how.
  3. Briefly discuss how large of a role modern science plays in our everyday lives.
Show Teachers Notes

(1) Try to guide students to a fairly extensive list, within reason. E.g., clothing, food, shelter, smart phones, computer, television, cars, etc.
(2) This question can engender some fairly deep thinking if done well. As an example, consider, clothing: On the one hand it might seem not to depend on science, since clothing existed long before modern science, but on the other hand, most of the fabrics used in today’s clothing are produced through methods that rely quite heavily on modern science.
(3) After discussing the first two questions, it should be indisputable that science plays a major role in our lives, though whether that role is positive or negative might be debated.

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