Observation

Fifth lecture for a course on science.

Transcript

1. Knowledge and Observation Descartes -vs- Galileo George Matthews CC 2017
2. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1600
3. “It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had from my earliest youth admitted as true, and how doubtful was everything I had since constructed on this basis; and from that time I was convinced that I must once for all seriously undertake to rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and commence to build anew from the foundation, if I wanted to establish any firm and permanent structure in the sciences.” Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, 1641
4. “For in the sciences the authority of thousands of opinions is not worth as much as one tiny spark of reason in an individual man. Besides, the modern observations deprive all former writers of any authority, since if they had seen what we see, they would have judged as we judge.” Galileo Galilei, Letter to Mark Wesler, 1615
5. Descartes’ Dream
6. Descartes’ Dream
7. Descartes’ Dream ! Our thinking about the world is representational.
8. Descartes’ Dream ! Our thinking about the world is representational. ! Thoughts are encoded in arbritrary symbols that need not resemble what they are about.
9. Descartes’ Dream ! Our thinking about the world is representational. ! Thoughts are encoded in arbritrary symbols that need not resemble what they are about. ! Knowing something about reality requires a reliable way of connecting thoughts to reality.
10. Descartes’ Dream ! Our thinking about the world is representational. ! Thoughts are encoded in arbritrary symbols that need not resemble what they are about. ! Knowing something about reality requires a reliable way of connecting thoughts to reality. So how can I possibly tell whether or not I am dreaming at this moment?
11. Descartes’ Dream
12. Galileo’s Ship
13. Galileo’s Ship
14. Galileo’s Ship ! Our observations always take place within a frame of reference.
15. Galileo’s Ship ! Our observations always take place within a frame of reference. ! The accuracy of our measurements is dependent upon the perspective of the one making the measurements.
16. Galileo’s Ship ! Our observations always take place within a frame of reference. ! The accuracy of our measurements is dependent upon the perspective of the one making the measurements. ! Knowing something about reality requires a reliable way of calibrating our instruments.
17. Galileo’s Ship ! Our observations always take place within a frame of reference. ! The accuracy of our measurements is dependent upon the perspective of the one making the measurements. ! Knowing something about reality requires a reliable way of calibrating our instruments. So how can I possibly tell whether or not I am moving at this moment?
18. Galileo’s Ship
19. scientific observation
20. scientific observation ! Consider the influence of your perspective.
21. scientific observation ! Consider the influence of your perspective. ! Measure phenomena more precisely.
22. scientific observation ! Consider the influence of your perspective. ! Measure phenomena more precisely. ! Extend the range of the senses.
23. scientific observation ! Consider the influence of your perspective. ! Measure phenomena more precisely. ! Extend the range of the senses. ! Let patterns emerge from the data itself.
24. scientific observation ! Consider the influence of your perspective. ! Measure phenomena more precisely. ! Extend the range of the senses. ! Let patterns emerge from the data itself. ! Develop an appropriate language for description.
25. scientific observation ! Consider the influence of your perspective. ! Measure phenomena more precisely. ! Extend the range of the senses. ! Let patterns emerge from the data itself. ! Develop an appropriate language for description. ! Build detailed models.
26. scientific observation ! Consider the influence of your perspective. ! Measure phenomena more precisely. ! Extend the range of the senses. ! Let patterns emerge from the data itself. ! Develop an appropriate language for description. ! Build detailed models. ! Recognize common features within diversity.
27. consider one’s own perspective
28. consider one’s own perspective
40. measure more precisely
41. measure more precisely the inspiration for the pendulum clock
42. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)
43. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)
44. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)
45. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)
46. extend the range of the senses
47. extend the range of the senses
48. extend the range of the senses
49. extend the range of the senses
50. extend the range of the senses
51. extend the range of the senses
52. extend the range of the senses
53. extend the range of the senses