SCI 105'020 Scientific Inquiry

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SCI 105.020Scientific Inquiry

• The Big Picture
• Science, Technology, Engineering, etc

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Topics

• What is Science?
• Basic Applied Research
• Science, Engineering, Technology a car metaphor
• Is Computer Science Science?

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Body Of Knowledge

• Does any body of knowledge qualified for science?
• Science is knowledge about the real (physical)
  world
• There is no other options than obeying the
  natural laws
• Scientific statements/theories are testable
• The tests are repeatable
• The theories are consistent among each other
• The knowledge body is growing forever there is
  no end product

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Organization Of Knowledge

• Intra-disciplinary growth
• Physics
• Astrophysics, quantum physics, nuclear physics
• Theoretical, experimental, computational physics
• Interdisciplinary growth
• Physical chemistry chemical physics
• Material sciences
• Environmental sciences

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Scientific Processes

• The Micro-process
• The six-step program
• The Macro-process
• The Scientific Knowledge Acquisition Web
  (SKAW)(see attached illustration)

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Methodology/Philosophy of Science

• Positivism hypothesis-experiment-evaluation
• Propose a possible explanation of how something
  works and then test it
• Falsification theory-falsification-modification
• Seeing a million swans that are white cannot
  prove that all swans are white, but finding one
  that is black disproves the theory
• Relativism emphasizing the social factors in the
  conduct of science(to be continued)

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Methodology/Philosophy (continued)

• Relativism
• Science is assumed to be objective prejudices of
  the scientist do not affect the results presented
• Scientists are human
• The scientist does not record everything he
  observes but only those things which the theories
  he accepts indicates significant
• Science is theory-laden theories strongly
  influence how science is done
• Relativists suggest that science is a
  problem-oriented endeavor that can effectively
  solve problems even if it does not explain
  objective reality

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Basic Applied Research

• Basic research (or pure science) is driven by the
  curiosity of the scientist
• A wonder about a particular phenomenon e.g., the
  evolution of the universe
• Applied research is done to solve a specific
  problem
• Usually leads to new or improved technology,
  which is the practical application of scientific
  knowledge

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Basic Applied Research An Illustration
Nuclear weapons
Nuclear weapons
Nuclear Physics Fundamental nature of matter
Medical devices
Nuclear medicine
Basic research
Reactors
Nuclear energy
Resulting technologies
Applied research
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An Automobile Metaphor
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Basic Applied Research The Interactions

• Applied research relies on basic research to
  provide the underlying ideas
• Basic research affects the society through the
  results of related applied research
• Basic research can be empowered by new
  technologies made available by applied research
• Biology is traditionally experimental
• Computational biology/bioinformatics is very
  popular now with the state-of-the-art computing
  technologies

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Is Computer Science Science?

• Definitions of Computer Science
• The study of computers and the major phenomena
  that surround them
• Computer science is the body of knowledge
  concerned with computers and computation. It has
  theoretical, experimental, and design components
  and include
• (1)theories for understanding computing devices,
  programs, and systems
• (2)experimentation for the development and
  testing of concepts
• (3)design methodology, algorithms, and tools for
  practical realization and
• (4)methods for analysis for verifying that these
  realizations meet requirements

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A Modified Definition

• The discipline of computing id the systematical
  study of algorithmic processes that describe and
  transform information their theories, analysis,
  design, efficiency, implementation, and
  application.
• The fundamental question underlying all computing
  is What can be (efficiently) automated?

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What Computer Scientists Do?

• Sub-areas in Computer Science
• Algorithms and data structures
• Programming languages
• Architecture
• Numerical symbolic computation
• Operating systems
• Software methodology engineering
• Databases information retrieval
• Artificial intelligent robotics
• Human-computer interaction

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Paradigms For The Discipline

• Abstraction (or modeling)(rooted in experimental
  scientific method)
• Form a hypothesis
• Construct a model and make a prediction
• Design an experiment and collect data
• Analyze results

• Theory(rooted in mathematics)
• Characterize objects of study (definition)
• Hypothesize possible relationships among them
  (theorem)
• Determine whether the relationships are true
  (proof)
• Interpret results

• Design (rooted in engineering)
• State requirements
• State specification
• Design and implement the system
• Test the system

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The Role Of Programming

• Computer Science Programming
• However, programming is part of the standard
  practices of the discipline
• Programming languages are useful tools for
  gaining access to the distinctions of the
  discipline
• Programs are instructions to the computing
  devices written in programming languages
• Data structures the way to hold information in a
  program, e.g., a list of orders to an online
  bookstore
• Algorithm clearly specified way to process the
  information,e.g., process the order sequentially

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Computer Algorithms

• Computer algorithms often involve obtaining
  input, performing a calculation, and producing
  output.
• An algorithm for converting from Fahrenheit to
  Celsius
• 1. Display a message asking the user to enter a
  Fahrenheit temperature.
• 2. Obtain the input entered by the user.
• 3. Convert the users input into numerical form.
• 4. Calculate the equivalent Celsius temperature,
  using the formula
• C (F 32) ? (5 / 9)
• 5. Convert the Celsius temperature into
  character form and display the result.

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What Do Computers Do?

• A computer system is an integrated collection of
  hardware and software components
• Hardware refers to the electronics inside a
  computer
• Software consists of (O/S and application)
  programs that tell the hardware what to do

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Object-Oriented Programming

• A software system (or a collection of programs
  that support a certain application) can be seen
  as an imaginary software machine
• It is constructed from parts software objects
• Each object encapsulates scripts and information
  (think of algorithm and data structure) its
  responsibilities
• Information an object needs to know
• Scripts operations that an object needs to do
• Example a bicycle object may be responsible for
• Information which gear it is in
• Operations start, change to a certain gear as
  specified, stop

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Responsibilities Collaborations

• To fulfill one of its responsibilities, an object
  may need to ask other objects for help
  collaborations
• Objects collaborate with one and other by means
  of message passing
• There are three elements in a message
• Recipient
• Operation
• Additional information