scientific thinking and the scientific method

Scientific thinking

and

The scientific method

By

Dr. Gamal Abdel Latif

B.Sc., M.Sc. Alexandria university

Ph.D. Reading university, England.

10,000 years ago

Early man:

•Discovered cultivation.

• Built a house and settled.

• Domesticated animals.

Civilization: An advanced state of intellectual, cultural, and material development in human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, the extensive use of record-keeping, including writing, and the appearance of complex political and social institutions.

Egyptian civilization:

Edfu-Temple

Civilizations of ancient Iraq:

• Sumerian

• Babylonian

• Assyrian

• Phoenician civilization:

• Ancient Greece civilization:

• Ancient Rome civilization:

Until the second half of the 19th century

• Queen Victoria

(Great Britain )

• Queen Isabella

(Spain)

• Napoleon Bonaparte

(France)

• Abraham Lincoln

(USA)

• Mohamed Ali Basha

(Egypt)

A visionary: is a person who can see into the future through imagining what does not yet exist, but might in

the future.

• George Stephenson:

(1781-1848) English

• Nicolaus August Otto

(1832-1891) German

• Rudolf Diesel

(1858-1913) German

• Charles Goodyear

(1800-1860) American

• Wright Brothers

• Orville Wright (1871-1948)

• Wilbur Wright (1867-1912)

Americans

• Lumiere Brothers:

• Louis (1864-1948)

• August (1862-1954)

French

• Alexander Graham Bell

(1847-1922) American

• Thomas Edison

(1847-1931) American

• louis pasteur

(1822-1895) French

• Robert Koch

(1843-1910) German

• Wilhelm Rontgen

(1845-1923) German

• Crawford Long

(1815-1878) American

• Carl Zeiss

(1816-1888) German

• Alfred Nobel

(1833-1896) Swedish

In conclusion:

1. What man achieved during thousands of years was relatively little.

2. A great change started to appear during the late 19th century and early 20th century.

WHY?

The man’s mind does three main functions one of them is

THINKING

Types of thinking prevailed during early ages :

1.Legendary thinking

The Greek myths gave answers to all questions.

2. Superstitious thinking

It denies science and logic. It depends on magic, spiritual power and juggling. Some people still use that type of thinking.

No. 13 is a bad omen , touch wood , cross your fingers.

3. Metaphysical thinking

The material that burn contain “phlogiston” and those don’t burn don’t contain “phlogiston”.

4. Authoritarian thinking

Authority is the power and right to give orders and make others obey. This kind of thinking prevailed for a long period before the industrial revolution. This kind of thinking opposes using one’s mind, creativity and innovation. The Roman church in Europe and the Caliph in the east applied this type of thinking for more than 1000 years. If someone has a religious opinion or belief that is against what is generally accepted to be true in the society, he would be accused of heresy.

He is threatening the regime stability !!

The penalty was always burn to death

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) Poland

It’s the earth that goes round the sun.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) Italy

The earth and planets revolve around the sun.

Averroes ( Ibn Rushd) (1126 – 1198) Andalusia

There is no conflict between religion and philosophy (thinking).

Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) England

Science is but an image of the truth.

René Descartes (1596 1650) France

Francis Bacon and René Descartes opposed the Aristotelian school of thinking. They suggested that we should depend on solid facts to understand nature.

Scientists should think differently from Aristotle , Plato , Thales and Socrates.

The scientific thinking method appeared and was adopted by people who work in research.

The components of scientific thinking are mainly 3 :

1. Empiricism i.e. using empirical evidence. An empirical evidence is the evidence that we can feel with our senses. It is measurable and repeatable.

Scientists do not accept :

hearsay evidence

testimonial evidence

circumstantial evidence

2. Rationalism i.e. using reasoning “logic”. Logic allows to reason correctly

emotional thinking

hopeful thinking

wishful thinking

are more common than logical thinking.

They are far easier and more congenial to human nature.

Scientists do not accept them.

3. Skepticism i.e. possessing a skeptical attitude. It means the constant questioning of your beliefs and conclusions.

Good scientists constantly examine the evidence, arguments and reasons for their beliefs.

Science treats new ideas with skepticism:

extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence to justify.

A method was also developed to be used in scientific thinking:

The scientific method

The seven steps of the scientific method:

1. Having a problem or question.

2. Gathering information to attempt to answer the question or solve the problem.

3. Propose a solution or answer to the problem or question. Performing a scientific hypothesis.

4. Testing the hypothesis by conducting an experiment . If

the hypothesis fails the test, it must be rejected or modified.

5. Collect and analyse the results.

6. Construct, support or cast doubt on a scientific theory.

7. Communicating the results.

Now you know:

Scientific knowledge (science) comes from the practice of scientific thinking using the scientific method.

Science is a method of investigating nature – a way of knowing about nature – that discovers reliable knowledge about nature.

The accumulation of scientific knowledge changed and continue to change the world.

The changes during the past 50 years in all aspects of life are great and happened very fast.

Why?

Thank you