File preview
Ignorance
how it drives science
Stuart
Firestein Columbia
University New
York,
NY
http://ignorance.biology.columbia.edu/
Saturday, December 1, 12
?
It’s very difficult to find a black cat in a dark room.
Saturday, December 1, 12
It’s very difficult to find a black cat in a dark room.
Especially when there is no cat
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Scienti*ic
Method
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Scienti*ic
Method vs. Farting
Around
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Scienti*ic
Method vs. Farting
Around
...in
the
dark
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cellular
and
Molecular
Neuroscience
-‐
I
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Marie Curie 1867-1934
“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done…”
Saturday, December 1, 12
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831 -1879
Saturday, December 1, 12
Thoroughly conscious ignorance is the prelude to every real advance in science
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831 -1879
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject 5 exabytes = 5 x 1018
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject 5 exabytes = 5 x 1018
5,000,000,000,000,000,000
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject 5 exabytes = 5 x 1018
5,000,000,000,000,000,000
2500 exabytes by 2012
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth 2012: 1.57 x 106 scientific journal articles published
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth 2012: 1.57 x 106 scientific journal articles published 535,600 minutes per year
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth 2012: 1.57 x 106 scientific journal articles published 535,600 minutes per year
3 new papers per minute
Saturday, December 1, 12
Neglect
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject
Ignorance is a bigger one
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ignorance
SCNC
3490,
Instructor:
Firestein Spring,
Tuesdays
6-‐8PM
2units
A
discussion
of
the
10
role
of
ignorance
in
science A
series
of
case
histories
in
scienti*ic
ignorance
http://ignorance.biology.columbia.edu/
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
“Science is always wrong. It never solves a problem without creating 10 more.”
George Bernard Shaw 1856 -1950
Saturday, December 1, 12
“Science is always wrong. It never solves a problem without creating 10 more.”
George Bernard Shaw 1856 -1950 Immanuel Kant 1724 -1804
The Principle of Question Propagation “Every answer given on principle of experience begets a fresh question”
Saturday, December 1, 12
IGNORANCE
KNOWLEDGE
Saturday, December 1, 12
KNOWLEDGE
IGNORANCE
Saturday, December 1, 12
KNOWLEDGE
IGNORANCE
Saturday, December 1, 12
“There
are
known
unknowns
…
and
unknown
unknowns.”
We
also
know
there
are
known
unknowns;
that
is
to
say
we
know
there
are
some
things
we
do
not
know.
Saturday, December 1, 12
“There
are
known
unknowns
…
and
unknown
unknowns.”
We
also
know
there
are
known
unknowns;
that
is
to
say
we
know
there
are
some
things
we
do
not
know.
But
there
are
also
unknown
unknowns
-‐-‐
the
ones
we
don't
know
we
don't
know.”
Saturday, December 1, 12
-‐
Donald
Rumsfeld
(2006)
Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine. -JBS Haldane (1928)
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
L. Wittgenstein 1889-1951
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
L. Wittgenstein 1889-1951
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
Nicolai Copernicus 1473-1543 De revolutionibus
Saturday, December 1, 12
L. Wittgenstein 1889-1951
Foucault’s
Pendulum,
Pantheon,
Paris
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field.
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field. •Ethical
and
moral
considerations
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field. •Ethical
and
moral
considerations •Timing.
“Lifetime
problems”
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field. •Ethical
and
moral
considerations •Timing.
“Lifetime
problems” •Ignorance
of
the
Known
Saturday, December 1, 12
Science
is
the
Search
for
Better
Ignorance
Saturday, December 1, 12
Science
is
the
Search
for
Better
Ignorance
Negative
Capability,
that
is
when
a
man
is
capable
of
being
in
uncertainties,
Mysteries,
doubts
(without
any
irritable
reaching
after
fact
&
reason...) -‐John
Keats,
1817
Saturday, December 1, 12
Science
is
the
Search
for
Better
Ignorance
Negative
Capability,
that
is
when
a
man
is
capable
of
being
in
uncertainties,
Mysteries,
doubts
(without
any
irritable
reaching
after
fact
&
reason...) -‐John
Keats,
1817 In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ?
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ?
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
YES
..................................................................................
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
YES
..................................................................................
but
Uncertainty
≉
Unreliability
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
YES
..................................................................................
but
Uncertainty
≉
Unreliability Unsettled
Science
is
not
Unsound
Science
Saturday, December 1, 12
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
Saturday, December 1, 12
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
The
Wind
is
Angry
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
The
Wind
is
Angry The
Wind
God
is
Angry
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
The
Wind
is
Angry The
Wind
God
is
Angry The
wind
is
a
measurable,
if
currently
unpredictable,
form
of
energy
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
Basic
vs.
Applied
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
La
Clairvoyance.
Rene
Magritte 1936
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Of
what
use
is
a
new
born
baby?
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Of
what
use
is
a
new
born
baby? -‐Benjamin
Franklin,
~1783
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
1932,
C.D.
Anderson
discovers
the
1st
positron
with
a
cloud
chamber
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
1932,
C.D.
Anderson
discovers
the
1st
positron
with
a
cloud
chamber
1950-‐76,
Development
of
PET
scanning
for
medical
diagnostics
and
research
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
1932,
C.D.
Anderson
discovers
the
1st
positron
with
a
cloud
chamber
1950-‐76,
Development
of
PET
scanning
for
medical
diagnostics
and
research Positron
Emission
Tomography
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ambiguous
Figures
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ambiguous
Figures
the
Dif*iculty
of
Uncertainty
Saturday, December 1, 12
I’m
turning
into
my
mother
Saturday, December 1, 12
I’m
turning
into
my
mother
Saturday, December 1, 12
I’m
turning
into
my
mother
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Necker
Cube
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Necker
Cube
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Necker
Cube
Saturday, December 1, 12
Les
Deux
Freres
James
Hodges
Saturday, December 1, 12
Les
Deux
Freres
James
Hodges
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Values
of
Science
Fact Surety Conviction
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Values
of
Science
Ignorance
Doubt Uncertainty
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Keep
the
company
of
those
who
seek
the
truth;
*lee
from
those
who
claim
to
have
found
it. -‐Vaclav
Havel,
author,
politician (from
Andre
Gide)
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ignorance
how it drives science
Stuart
Firestein Columbia
University New
York,
NY
http://ignorance.biology.columbia.edu/
Saturday, December 1, 12
?
how it drives science
Stuart
Firestein Columbia
University New
York,
NY
http://ignorance.biology.columbia.edu/
Saturday, December 1, 12
?
It’s very difficult to find a black cat in a dark room.
Saturday, December 1, 12
It’s very difficult to find a black cat in a dark room.
Especially when there is no cat
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Scienti*ic
Method
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Scienti*ic
Method vs. Farting
Around
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Scienti*ic
Method vs. Farting
Around
...in
the
dark
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cellular
and
Molecular
Neuroscience
-‐
I
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Hardcover: 1414 pages Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical; 4th edition Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 2.3 inches Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds
Saturday, December 1, 12
Marie Curie 1867-1934
“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done…”
Saturday, December 1, 12
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831 -1879
Saturday, December 1, 12
Thoroughly conscious ignorance is the prelude to every real advance in science
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831 -1879
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject 5 exabytes = 5 x 1018
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject 5 exabytes = 5 x 1018
5,000,000,000,000,000,000
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject 5 exabytes = 5 x 1018
5,000,000,000,000,000,000
2500 exabytes by 2012
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth 2012: 1.57 x 106 scientific journal articles published
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth 2012: 1.57 x 106 scientific journal articles published 535,600 minutes per year
Saturday, December 1, 12
Growth of the Scientific Literature
2006: 1.35 x 106 scientific journal articles published 2.5% yearly growth 2012: 1.57 x 106 scientific journal articles published 535,600 minutes per year
3 new papers per minute
Saturday, December 1, 12
Neglect
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject
Saturday, December 1, 12
Knowledge is a big subject
Ignorance is a bigger one
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ignorance
SCNC
3490,
Instructor:
Firestein Spring,
Tuesdays
6-‐8PM
2units
A
discussion
of
the
10
role
of
ignorance
in
science A
series
of
case
histories
in
scienti*ic
ignorance
http://ignorance.biology.columbia.edu/
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
Saturday, December 1, 12
“Science is always wrong. It never solves a problem without creating 10 more.”
George Bernard Shaw 1856 -1950
Saturday, December 1, 12
“Science is always wrong. It never solves a problem without creating 10 more.”
George Bernard Shaw 1856 -1950 Immanuel Kant 1724 -1804
The Principle of Question Propagation “Every answer given on principle of experience begets a fresh question”
Saturday, December 1, 12
IGNORANCE
KNOWLEDGE
Saturday, December 1, 12
KNOWLEDGE
IGNORANCE
Saturday, December 1, 12
KNOWLEDGE
IGNORANCE
Saturday, December 1, 12
“There
are
known
unknowns
…
and
unknown
unknowns.”
We
also
know
there
are
known
unknowns;
that
is
to
say
we
know
there
are
some
things
we
do
not
know.
Saturday, December 1, 12
“There
are
known
unknowns
…
and
unknown
unknowns.”
We
also
know
there
are
known
unknowns;
that
is
to
say
we
know
there
are
some
things
we
do
not
know.
But
there
are
also
unknown
unknowns
-‐-‐
the
ones
we
don't
know
we
don't
know.”
Saturday, December 1, 12
-‐
Donald
Rumsfeld
(2006)
Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine. -JBS Haldane (1928)
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
L. Wittgenstein 1889-1951
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
L. Wittgenstein 1889-1951
Saturday, December 1, 12
Cognitive
Copernicanism
Nicholas
Rescher
Nicolai Copernicus 1473-1543 De revolutionibus
Saturday, December 1, 12
L. Wittgenstein 1889-1951
Foucault’s
Pendulum,
Pantheon,
Paris
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field.
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field. •Ethical
and
moral
considerations
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field. •Ethical
and
moral
considerations •Timing.
“Lifetime
problems”
Saturday, December 1, 12
Kinds
of
Ignorance
•Little
vs.
Big
Questions •Tractability
-‐
The
Art
of
the
Soluble •DifUiculty,
obstinance
of
the
problem •Technical
requirements •Resources
-‐
money,
people •Community.
The
Field. •Ethical
and
moral
considerations •Timing.
“Lifetime
problems” •Ignorance
of
the
Known
Saturday, December 1, 12
Science
is
the
Search
for
Better
Ignorance
Saturday, December 1, 12
Science
is
the
Search
for
Better
Ignorance
Negative
Capability,
that
is
when
a
man
is
capable
of
being
in
uncertainties,
Mysteries,
doubts
(without
any
irritable
reaching
after
fact
&
reason...) -‐John
Keats,
1817
Saturday, December 1, 12
Science
is
the
Search
for
Better
Ignorance
Negative
Capability,
that
is
when
a
man
is
capable
of
being
in
uncertainties,
Mysteries,
doubts
(without
any
irritable
reaching
after
fact
&
reason...) -‐John
Keats,
1817 In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ?
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ?
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
YES
..................................................................................
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
YES
..................................................................................
but
Uncertainty
≉
Unreliability
Saturday, December 1, 12
ScientiUic
progress
generates
Ignorance ........................................
Does
Ignorance
=
Uncertainty ? Does
Uncertainty
=
Doubt ? Does
Science
create
Uncertainty
&
Doubt ?
YES
..................................................................................
but
Uncertainty
≉
Unreliability Unsettled
Science
is
not
Unsound
Science
Saturday, December 1, 12
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
Saturday, December 1, 12
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
The
Wind
is
Angry
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
The
Wind
is
Angry The
Wind
God
is
Angry
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
A
Perspective
on
the
Weather
VE TI I IM PR
The
Wind
is
Angry The
Wind
God
is
Angry The
wind
is
a
measurable,
if
currently
unpredictable,
form
of
energy
Saturday, December 1, 12
SC
IE NT
IF IC
Basic
vs.
Applied
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
La
Clairvoyance.
Rene
Magritte 1936
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Of
what
use
is
a
new
born
baby?
Saturday, December 1, 12
Basic
vs.
Applied
Of
what
use
is
a
new
born
baby? -‐Benjamin
Franklin,
~1783
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
1932,
C.D.
Anderson
discovers
the
1st
positron
with
a
cloud
chamber
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
1932,
C.D.
Anderson
discovers
the
1st
positron
with
a
cloud
chamber
1950-‐76,
Development
of
PET
scanning
for
medical
diagnostics
and
research
Saturday, December 1, 12
1928,
Paul
Dirac
predicts
existence
of
positron
-‐
the
anti-‐electron
1932,
C.D.
Anderson
discovers
the
1st
positron
with
a
cloud
chamber
1950-‐76,
Development
of
PET
scanning
for
medical
diagnostics
and
research Positron
Emission
Tomography
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ambiguous
Figures
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ambiguous
Figures
the
Dif*iculty
of
Uncertainty
Saturday, December 1, 12
I’m
turning
into
my
mother
Saturday, December 1, 12
I’m
turning
into
my
mother
Saturday, December 1, 12
I’m
turning
into
my
mother
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Necker
Cube
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Necker
Cube
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Necker
Cube
Saturday, December 1, 12
Les
Deux
Freres
James
Hodges
Saturday, December 1, 12
Les
Deux
Freres
James
Hodges
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Values
of
Science
Fact Surety Conviction
Saturday, December 1, 12
The
Values
of
Science
Ignorance
Doubt Uncertainty
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Saturday, December 1, 12
In
an
honest
search
for
knowledge
you
quite
often
have
to
abide
by
ignorance
for
an
inde*inite
period.
-‐Erwin
Schrodinger,
1948
Keep
the
company
of
those
who
seek
the
truth;
*lee
from
those
who
claim
to
have
found
it. -‐Vaclav
Havel,
author,
politician (from
Andre
Gide)
Saturday, December 1, 12
Ignorance
how it drives science
Stuart
Firestein Columbia
University New
York,
NY
http://ignorance.biology.columbia.edu/
Saturday, December 1, 12
?