Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Science

 
SciBarCamp is starting in less than two weeks.

In the tradition of BarCamps, otherwise known as "unconferences", (see BarCamp.org for more information), the program is decided by the participants at the beginning of the meeting, in the opening reception. Presentations and discussion topics can be proposed here or on the opening night. SciBarCamp will require active participation; while not everybody will present or lead a discussion, everybody will be expected to contribute substantially - this will help make it a really creative event.

Eva Amsen has suggested an interesting topic Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Science. Here's my quick list to get the discussion going ...

1. Science must adhere to methodological naturalism. Supernatural explanations are not allowed in science.


2. All scientific models and theories are provisional in the sense that they might be overturned tomorrow. This does not mean that there's a high probability that well-established theories are wrong. It only means that nothing is absolutely proven in science.


3. Scientists must be skeptics. They must weigh all new data in the light of their current understanding of science. New data must not be accepted unquestionably.


4. Scientists must never lie about science or deliberately misrepresent it to the general public. No exceptions are allowed, even if a little white lying might be for the common good.


5. Scientists must never be afraid to criticize other scientists and they must have the freedom to do so without suffering retribution or penalties. Real science only thrives in an atmosphere of freedom of speech.


6. Theories are the best thing we have in science. A theory is a general explanation of particular phenomena that has withstood many attempts to disprove it. Because of the evidence supporting the explanation and because it hasn't been refuted, a theory will be widely accepted as provisionally correct within the science community.


7. Science is evidence based and the practice of science follows simple rules of logic and rationality.


8. Scientific facts must be reproducible or capable of independent confirmation by other scientists.


9. Science is a way of knowing about the universe. It may be the only epistemologically valid way of knowing. Technology is not the same as science and medicine is not the same as science.


10. There is no such thing as a rigidly defined scientific method.

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