Why bother?Lecture 1:

The Nature and Value of ScienceJune 13 2013

Masaru Emoto’s frozen water crystal experiment

Before Buddhist prayer

AfterBuddhist prayer

Biodegradable Plastics?

Water-powered vehicle and Daniel Dingle

Math behind network marketing

“Science is more than a body of knowledge.

It is a way of thinking.”

– Carl Sagan

Science as a rational inquiry

into Nature.1. Objective reality

and rational Subject

2. Laws govern nature3. Human mind can

know these natural laws (mathematical models)

SCIENCE isEmpirical statements +Internal consistency +

Philosophical underpinnings

The Scientifi

c Method

ObservationHypothesisExperimentConclusionTheory

Methods of Science

Literature

(Re)formulateproblem

ObserveExperiment

Measure

Make logical inferenceDo mathematical

manipulation

Build theoryNOBEL PRIZE

Anomalies

IndianaPi Bill (1894)

Physics is the study of matter and energy.

Atomic model: Matter is made up of

electrons and nucleus.

Science is an invitation to ask more and think more.

Major referenceGarcia, Jerrold. Science and the Scientific Method. Stellar

Origins Human Ways: Readings in Science, Technology, and Society. Edited by Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. 2011.

Some notes:• I am not a physics god.• Ask.• Think.• Three points every after lecture.• I expect the minimum: short quiz every after

class (for attendance as well)• Easy: directly given in class (60%)

Medium: one to two step deduction (30%)Difficult: needs ingenuity (10%)

• I do not tolerate plagiarism and cheating.

Grading