General

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SOSC 111 - Science, Technology and Society
Today History of Science Why should we care?
Week 2, Lesson 4 Friday, September 11, 1998 Dr.
Vincent Duffy - IEEM http//www-ieem.ust.hk/dfacul
ty/duffy/111 email vduffy_at_ust.hk
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Overview for today

• Video - Prof. Richard Feynman
• Insights into the thinking of a scientist
• What lessons does he teach us as engineers
• Time to finish making teams
• recall Science/Scientists
• A community of people concerned with the
  systematic search for knowledge about the world.
• more value placed on theory.
• with distinct tradition of practice

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Video about Richard Feynman

• Who is he?
• he is a scientist, professor at CalTech
• Nobel prize winner
• His origins
• grew up from humble family
• father was a clothing salesman in New York
• His father taught him
• question conventional wisdom
• enthusiasm for inquiry

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Questions of the day (QOTD)

• Q1. What does Professor Feynman challenge us to
  do?
• Does he think it is useless to brush teeth?
• Not really.
• Why does he question this?
• He wants evidence
• the scientist wants scientific evidence, data

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(No Transcript)
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• Q.2 What important lesson does he illustrate in
  segment 2 of the video? Why does he say history
  is fundamentally irrelevant?
• without the historical knowledge of the field, we
  will repeat the past
• maybe without success
• maybe without progress
• maybe repeating the failure of others
• however, history doesnt give new answers

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Questions of the day (QOTD)

• Q3. What does he say about names and knowledge?
  How does he illustrate this?
• Knowing the names doesnt tell you anything about
  the thing
• we can learn
• it is very important to know and recognize
• when you know
• 1. what you know and
• 2. what you dont know

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Questions of the Day (QOTD)

• Q.4. What makes him unique? What important
  lesson does he illustrate in segment 2 of the
  video?
• his enthusiasm for inquiry
• questioning attitude
• scientist cares of the what and why

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History of Science

• China
• At least 1500 A.D, maybe as early as 1000 A.D.
• sometimes secret traditions kept knowledge from
  spreading
• Scientific revolution (1600s)
• characterized by development of
• experimentation, measurement and mathematical
  analysis
• anyone could do it.
• no more it is correct because you were king or
  priest
• the world and natures secrets could be revealed
  to anyone

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• Western science (3-400B.C.)
• Ancient Greece began to consider natural
• (geometry and physical explanations)
• rather than supernatural (witches, etc.)
  explanations of the world

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Administrative issues

• Reading History of Science
• First chapter of text - put on web page
• Form groups of 3 or 4
• Please prepare a team sheet w/photos
• for Monday 14th, or latest Wednesday 16th.
• If anyone will not have a group, please let me
  know and I will help to form the group.
• Please send me email if you need help to form a
  group.

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