What is Science?
Science vs. Pseudoscience
Science: A systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictable theories about the universe. It is characterized by adherence to the scientific method, peer review, and a willingness to change in the face of new evidence.
Pseudoscience: A collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method. It often lacks key scientific characteristics.
Hallmarks of Pseudoscience: Claims are often vague and untestable; reliance on anecdotal evidence instead of controlled experiments; failure to change or progress when new evidence appears; claims are not falsifiable. Examples include astrology and homeopathy.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn argued that science does not progress in a smooth, linear fashion. Instead, it undergoes periodic revolutions called paradigm shifts.
Paradigm: A set of fundamental concepts, theories, and methods that are accepted by the scientific community at a particular time.
Normal Science: The day-to-day work of scientists operating within an established paradigm, solving puzzles and filling in details.
Anomaly: An observation or experimental result that cannot be explained by the current paradigm.
Scientific Revolution (Paradigm Shift): When anomalies accumulate and a new theory emerges that can explain them, leading to a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline.
Example: The shift from the geocentric (Ptolemaic) model of the universe to the heliocentric (Copernican) model.
Falsifiability
Introduced by philosopher Karl Popper, falsifiability is a key criterion for distinguishing science from non-science.
The Principle: For a theory or hypothesis to be considered scientific, it must be testable and, in principle, capable of being proven wrong.
If a claim is formulated in such a way that no conceivable evidence could ever refute it, it is not a scientific claim.
Example: The hypothesis 'All swans are white' is scientific because it is falsifiable; finding a single black swan would prove it false. The claim 'There is an invisible, undetectable dragon in my garage' is not scientific because it is not falsifiable.