Sharing the resources of ignorance
Item Type
Author
Language
English
Abstract
Science produces questions more than it generates answers. Among scientists that is a matter of such common knowledge that it is rarely stated explicitly. But, like the jargon-filled language that passes as easy conversation for the trained scientist while completely excluding the non-expert and nonscientist, this failure to be explicit about the value of ignorance has the unwanted effect of excluding the citizenry from the inner workings of science. Science is shockingly fragile. It has been attempted many times in our previous history on this planet, and come to a premature end—from the classical Greeks and Romans to Arab science and even the first early attempts at Western science. The very same could be done with the frightening sounding thermodynamics and the discovery that heat was not fluid but motion—not at all intuitive.
Publication Title
Publication Year
2015
Publication Date
2015-05-15
Publisher
Source
www.taylorfrancis.com
License
ISBN
978-1-315-86776-2
Physical Description
pp. 17-25