What is science?

[Guest guest]

HI All & Hi Sammy,

 

Sammy wrote:

> Science is a template for acquiring certainty in knowledge.

 

Emmanuel replied:

> I would say that Western science is a template for asking certain

> questions about things that we observe. The results may tempt one

> to claim certainty in the realm of knowledge. I personally would

> resist the temptation.

 

I would rephrase this as: " GOOD science is a template for asking

certain questions about things that we observe. It can take the form

of structured observation of facts and their subsequent

interpretation. Or it can start with an hypothesis, which is tested

fairly, especially in blind controlled randomised trials. The results

will either support or not support the hypothesis.

 

> The results may tempt one to claim certainty in the realm of

> knowledge. I personally would resist the temptation. Emmanuel

> Segmen

 

And I!

 

There are few certainties in this life. However, there are statistical

probabilities. An observed effect with a probability value of

p<0.0000000001 is much more certain than one with a p value of

<0.05 - (95% chance of being a real non-random effect) the value

often used in biological sciences.

 

Good science SHOULD be the search for " objective truth " . It

should report its findings - warts and all - truly and without bias. In

contrast, bad science corrupts the measured facts to suit the

writer's, or the group's, desires - falsifying data, burying adverse

reactions, hidden costs, etc.

 

ART, on the other hand, is the personal, creative, and unique

expression of one's PERCEPTION of " objective " and subjective

truth.

 

MEDICINE is an ART-SCIENCE. The best medicine MUST

combine BOTH, and the BOTH must include the best of what is

available - North, South, East & West.

 

I see the Universe as ONE, and the MIcrocosm as reflecting the

Macrocosm under the loving hand and eye of God, the Creator, the

Great Healer, the Great Artist, and the Source of all Truth.

 

Therefore, I seek the development of ONE medicine, the integration

of Art and " scientific Truth " into a HOLISTIC system.

 

That medicine is evolving slowly [and will continue to evolve]. I pray

for justice and fairness in the distribution of the best, or at least the

best affordable, medical skills for all humanity and our

domesticated animals. The scandalous costs of conventional

medicine, and its inter-related diagnostic and hospital-based

methods, render it unusable by millions of people of the " First

World " , not to mention the billions of " poor people " in the " Third

World " . Also, high-tech medicine is doing untold damage to our

environment and wasting irreplacable resources for future

generations.

 

Those who wish for an integrated HOLISTIC medicine MUST

expect to CONFLICT [hopefully peaceful and patient] with the

commercial and academic power-blocks, who want to retain full

control of " medicine " for their own biased, self-interested purposes.

 

Because of the increasing drift towards private industrial- or military-

funding for research, scientists are becoming more and more

dependent on their paymasters and are under increasing pressure

to " play the piper's tune " . Sadly, unbiased, independent research

is contracting, leaving the field to those with vested interests in

brainwashing the public to the aims of the paymasters.

Best regards,

 

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