1. TRUTH IN SCIENTIFIC
DISCOVERY:
Why is the sky blue? What is Love? What is a
thought? And Where did my consciousness go?

2. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
 How does a scientist view truth?
 How do we know when a scientific theory is
true?
 How do belief systems and society influence
perceptions of truth?

3. An important question…
The power of questions.
The power of the IC Curiosity!
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=F8U
FGu2M2gM&featur
e=g-hist

4. So…how do we ―do science‖?

5. Introducing…
Thomas Kuhn
Author of
―The Structure of
Scientific
Revolutions‖
(1962)

6. Kuhn‘s theory on how we do
science
 According to Kuhn the development of a
science is not uniform but has alternating
‘normal’ and ‗revolutionary’ phases.
 Kuhn argued that science is not a steady
process of accumulation of knowledge.
Instead, science is "a series of peaceful
interludes punctuated by intellectually violent
revolutions”

8. Kuhn‘s theory on how we do
science
 The central idea of Kuhn‘s theory is that the
development of science is driven, in normal
periods of science, by adherence to what Kuhn
called a ‗paradigm‘.
A paradigm guides and informs the fact-
gathering (experiments and observations
described in journals) decisions of
researchers

9. Normal Science
 During periods of normal science, the primary
task of scientists is to bring the accepted
theory and fact into closer agreement.
 As a consequence, scientists tend to ignore
research findings that might threaten the
existing paradigm and trigger the development
of a new and competing paradigm

10. The Paradigm and Zeitgeist
entanglement
 What is the Zeitgeist?
 Zeit·geist (tstgst, zt-)n. The spirit of the time; the
taste and outlook characteristic of a period or
generation.

11.  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?i
d=how-to-stop-misinformation-from-becoming-
popular-
belief&fb_action_ids=10151274379199747&fb
_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregatio

12. Paradigms
 Scientists doing ―normal science‖ will articulate
and develop the paradigm in their attempt to
account for and accommodate the behaviour
of aspects of the real world as shown through
the results of experimentation.

13. The Cycle of Scientific
Revolution
revolution
normal
a new paradigm science
emerges and a paradigm is
gains the formed and
approval of the accepted
scientific
community
crisis
an anomaly
appears that
can‘t be
explained using
the current
paradigm

14. Anomalies

15. Anomalies
 Anomaly: An occurrence that is strange,
unusual, or unique. It is a discrepancy or
deviation from an established rule, trend or
pattern
 An anomaly forces the scientific community to
complete further research to try to explain the
anomaly within the current paradigm. If it
cannot be, the paradigm finds itself in a state
of crisis.

16. Crisis
 All crises begin with the blurring of a paradigm
and the consequent loosening of the rules for
normal research
 Crises are resolved in one of three ways:
1. Normal science can prove capable of handling
the crisis-provoking problem, in which case all
returns to "normal."
2. The problem persists but it is thought to be as a
result of the field's failure to possess the
necessary tools with which to solve it. Scientists
set it aside for a future generation with more
developed tools.
3. A new candidate for paradigm emerges and a
battle over its acceptance begins in the scientific

17. Scientific Revolution
 A scientific revolution that results in paradigm
change is similar to a political revolution:
*Political revolutions begin with a growing sense by
members of the community that existing institutions
have ceased adequately to meet the problems
posed by the current environment —anomaly and
crisis

18. Scientific Revolution
 A scientific revolution that results in paradigm
change is similar to a political revolution:
*As a political crisis deepens, individuals commit
themselves to some concrete proposal for the
reconstruction of society – forming a new paradigm

19. Scientific Revolution
 A scientific revolution that results in paradigm
change is similar to a political revolution:
*Those with opposing political ideals attempt to sway
the majority in their favour – paradigm wars and,
eventually, scientific consensus on a new paradigm

20. Scientific Revolution
 -Chaos Theory

21. Scientific Revolution in
History
•Copernicus‘ view of the universe
•Wave-particle duality theory of light

22. Astronomy
Copernicus‘ ―helio-centric‖ model of the
universe

23. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 Imagine…
The prevailing
theory of the
structure of the
universe is a geo-
centric one.
The philosopher and
scientist Ptolemy
first proposed the
idea in the year
150 A.D.

24. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 In the early 16th
Century, nearly 1400
years after Ptolemy‘s
work, Nicolaus
Copernicus
challenged this
paradigm with his
own ideas on the
universe
 Geo-centric = existing
paradigm

25. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 Copernicus was not  Crisis – anomalies
convinced that the are encountered
explanations which cannot be
Ptolemy and his readily explained
supporters
presented actually
explained the
motion of the
planets and stars.

26. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 He spent years
observing,
experimenting and
theorising until he
was ready to make
a commitment to a
new possible
paradigm – a helio-
centric model of the
universe

27. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 Copernicus had kept
his ideas relatively
quiet throughout his
life and it was only
on his deathbed in
1543 that he could
claim that his new
paradigm had been
revealed to the
scientific community

28. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 Consider the social climate into which Copernicus‘
1543 book was released…
 The Copernican model appeared to be contrary to
common sense and to contradict the Bible – man
is the reason for and at the centre of the universe
 Ptolemy‘s geo-centric paradigm had been in
favour for such a long time already
 Also, Copernicus‘ observations were much the
same as those of fellow astronomers. The
observations said nothing new, it was the need for
a more complete and simplistic system that drove
Copernicus‘ curiousity

29. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 It was for these
reasons that
Copernicus‘ theory
did not bring about a
revolution at first.
 There were only ten
Copernicans
between 1543 and
1600. The most
famous you may
know – Galileo
Galilei

30. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 The universe model  Anomalies still exist
paradigm crisis had
been momentarily but crisis has been
resolved as per one stalled
of Kuhn‘s possible
crisis resolution
categories – although
some liked the theory,
the field of astronomy
was not yet advanced
enough to prove any
reason it should
succeed the old
paradigm

31. Scientific Revolution in
Astronomy
 It took until the end of  Advances in science
the 17th century, with help to resurface
the new discoveries in Copernicus‘ identified
astronomy and other anomalies crisis
fields by Galileo, revolution new
Johannes Kepler and paradigm - the
Isaac Newton, for heliocentric model of
Copernicus‘ work to the universe
again bring the geo-
centric model into
crisis and finally
prevail as the new
paradigm

32. Nature of light
Wave-particle duality theory of light

33. Scientific Revolution in Physics
 Pierre Gassendi , an
atomist, proposed a
particle theory of
light which was
published after his
death in the 1660s.
ie. Gassendi proposed
that light acted as
though made up of
many small particles

34. Scientific Revolution in Physics
 Isaac Newton
studied Gassendi's
work at an early age
and stated in his
Hypothesis of Light
of 1675 that light
was composed of
corpuscles (particles
of matter) which
were emitted in all
directions from a
source

35. Scientific Revolution in Physics
 Newton's theory could  Particle theory of
be used to predict the light – current
reflection of light, but
could only explain paradigm
refraction (bending)
using an assumption
later to be proved
false.
 His reputation helped
the particle theory of
light to hold sway
during the 18th
century

36. Scientific Revolution in Physics
 In the 1660s, Robert  Anomalies appear in
Hooke published a the current paradigm
wave theory of light, causing crisis – a new
followed by fellow paradigm emerges from
physicists Christiaan scientific revolution –
Huygens and Thomas the wave theory of light
Young.
 The wave theory was
wildly successful in
explaining nearly all
optical and
electromagnetic
phenomena, and was a
great triumph of
nineteenth century
physics

37. Scientific Revolution in Physics
 By the late nineteenth  New crisis in the
century, however, a current paradigm!
handful of
experimental
anomalies remained
that could not be
explained by or were
in direct conflict with
the wave theory. One
of these anomalies
involved a
controversy over the
speed of light

38. Scientific Revolution in Physics
 In 1905, Albert
Einstein was able to
resolve the crisis
facing the current
paradigm of wave
theory.
 Using his famous
theory of relativity,
Einstein was able to
explain that light
could in fact act like
a wave and a
particle

39. E=MC2
 One of Einstein's  In one kilogram of pure
great insights was to water, the mass of
realize that matter hydrogen atoms amounts
and energy are really to just slightly more than
different forms of the
same thing. Matter
111 grams, or 0.111 kg.
can be turned into  E=MC2
energy, and energy = 0.111 x 300,000,000(m/s
into matter. ) x 300,000,000(m/s)
= 10,000,000,000,000,000
Joules

41. Scientific Revolution in Physics
 In what became the  old paradigm –
new paradigm for wave theory
the nature of light,  new paradigm –
Einstein particle/wave duality
demonstrated how
light could show the
properties of
particles (eg.
straight line travel,
reflection), and
waves (eg.
diffraction)

42. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ
7oGc

43. Quantum Physics and that darn
cat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCOE__
N6v4o

44. Big Bang Theory
 We certainly know that
our universe exists,
however, this knowledge
alone has not satisfied
the quest for further
understanding.
 Our curiosity has led us
to question our place in
this universe and
furthermore, the place of
the universe itself.
 Throughout time we have
asked ourselves these
questions:
 How did our universe
begin?
 How old is our
universe?
 How did matter come to
exist?

45. Big Bang Theory
 These are not simple
questions and
throughout our brief
history on this planet
much time and effort
has been spent
looking for some clue.
Yet, after all this
energy has been
expended, much of
what we know is still
only speculation.

46. Gravity, Space and Time

47. Twin Paradox Theory

48. Twin Paradox Theory

49. Dark Energy

50. Dark Energy
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=laxxj3hQWZA

51. String Theory

53. Dark Energy

54. Where theories Collide and
Accelerate!
 The Large Hadron Collider, Cerne Switzerland
 ―The big revolutions in science sometimes occur when we realise we don't
know anything.! Director of CERN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQNpucos9
wc

56. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TExVKL
4wrV8&feature=relmfu

57. Art Vs Science
Science as Art
Art is Science
The infinite connection of Art and
Science
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbhNaj88uL

58. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
 How do we know when a scientific theory is true?
 How does a scientist view truth?
The Most astounding Fact!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9
D05ej8u-gU

59. And after all this, we still must be
humbled by a surrender to Great
Mystery...
whilst also trusting the power of
continual questioning.
?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SWvD
HvWXok

60. Thank You.
Mr Ragnar J Haabjoern
Email | rhaabjoern@gmail.com
Blog| http://thewonderingecologist.blogspot.com/
Twitter | @whyhowwho