Description
The difference between Part I and Part II – Volumes 1 & 2
– of this series, is that in Part I the
author showed how what we call reality starts with the inner self whereas Part II describes what, in fact, impacts
and modifies the environment or reality and what are the factors behind that
dynamics. What impacts and modifies the environment is science. This Volume 2 starts by showing how
technology plays an important role in scientific progress. Although the relationship
between the two is symbiotic, science can exist without technology but
technology desperately needs science. Military technology is an example of how
technology can help science advance. Some military inventions end up having
civilian use. Science being at the center of society, the book makes the case
for the direct impact of such social sciences as politics and economics on the
advancement of science. Politics, says the author, influences science because
of uncertainty in science, and economics does it thanks to the availability of
money to scholars and scientists for their research. On the other hand, government
also influences scientific progress through regulations. The book gives
cyberspace regulation as an example. Furthermore, by showing how art influences
science, the author really argues for the polyfactorial aspect of scientific
progress. In that line of thought, he goes on to also prove that factors such
as skepticism, curiosity, and the quest for knowledge greatly influence the
advancement of science. That, says the author, “is a ninety-degree turn … By
ending Part two that way, I wanted
to, somehow, link it to Part I, which
argues that reality starts from within.”
Abstract
If science is defined as anything that can change or
potentially change the environment, it goes without saying that science is also
anything that can change or potentially change man himself because man is at
the center of science. The nature of science reflects the nature of man. Although
science is not stationary and that it changes as our environment changes,
because scientific method and scientific paradigms change at different eras,
scientific progress is multifaceted. Today, we are witnessing some advances in
science that would not have been possible two hundred years ago. Politics,
government regulations, economics, the military, the quest for energy, and our
thirst for technology are amongst the most powerful forces that drive today’s
scientific progress. And these forces are themselves influenced by how research
is done, in other words, by today’s changing research spectrum. A large part of
our attempt to understand why modern science advances has to do with, first,
understand our modern research environment. The way we structure our scientific
spectrum weighs heavily in the goals we set for science and determine the
nature of scientific results. Science is all the more important that it
ultimately impacts society. Science is an institution and as such it educates
people, promotes research, and caters to society. Therefore, the scientific
community – besides structuring the research process – has a duty to promote
responsible behaviors or conducts by establishing normative rules. Scientific
progress is inseparable from society and vice versa … Technology is an offshoot
of science. However, science needs technology to progress. In fact, this is
another symbiotic relationship of science with another field. This is a classic
debate. This is a relationship similar to that between knowledge and skill.
Knowledge includes fact, information, and skills acquired by a person through
education or experience. It's the theoretical or practical understanding of a
subject. Skill is the ability to do something well. It's an expertise or a
hand-on experience. Whereas knowledge can stand alone, skill often includes
knowledge. Skill is a whole. Skill is practical. Knowledge is mainly
theoretical. So, let’s think of science as knowledge and technology as skill.
Science can exist without technology but technology desperately needs science. The
relationship between science and technology has become symbiotic especially in
modern times.
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