Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Science cannot answer this!

The exclamation mark at the end of the title carries two distinct tones.

One of schadenfreude, “You cannot do it … good riddance, he, he, he”.

The other one is of genuine excitement and happiness, “My job as a scientist is secure; I can indulge in my fancies!”

Which tone do you use?

Raghuram Ekambaram

8 comments:

Amrit Yegnanarayan said...

If I were a scientist, I would use the 2nd one. Not being one, in that I do not perform research in pursuit of understanding nature, I will not use the 1st one for sure.

mandakolathur said...

But then Amrit, I was deliberately silent on the third category of people, actually the majority - ones who think science has a place in human life! Obviously you, and also I, belong to this.

RE

Tomichan Matheikal said...

Dear Raghuram, this post of yours inspired me to write the following:
http://matheikal.blogspot.in/2013/01/what-is-real.html

mandakolathur said...

I will get to it, in due time, Matheikal. Am I a sucker for punishment or what :)

RE

DMR Sekhar said...

Dear Raghu Sb,

True science can’t answer everything now but it may answer in future. That is the sprit and hope. Unfortunately high priests of science are strangulating this sprit. Tell me why there are no laws of biology? What is the difference between a car and its driver, keeping in mind that both are governed by the same laws of physics and chemistry?

Thanks,
DMR Sekhar

mandakolathur said...

DMRS,

I argue that Science knows it cannot answer any question, but it will continue trying. This is the spirit in which I admire science. As far as I can perceive, this sort of admiration does not permeate other modes of thinking of society, rooted in the desire for certainties.

What sort of laws of biology are you talking about? From what I have been able to gather from your writings thus far, you think biological actions go beyond the realms of physics, biology, putting your faith in thermodynamics (perhaps). But, how sure are you these laws represent reality?

By the way, which laws of physics are you talking about? The ones that are bound to be superseded in due course? By the way, do bats do FFTs for their echo-location? We do. I don't think any of us understand what "understand" means!

Science (physics) says matter is more empty space (perhaps infused with what it has modelled and tagged as "energy") than matter! Do you think this is an inscrutable statement, not unlike religious assertions?

RE

Tomichan Matheikal said...

In response to DMR's comment and your response to that, I'd like to say without claiming any certainty that other modes of quest like literature never claimed any certainty.

mandakolathur said...

Matheikal, only a subset of literature does not claim certainty; religious literature surely does.

For example, the foundations of Christianity is in the certainties of the the Hebrew and the Greek Bibles. The other literature, with a philosophical bent are only probing but what the author is probing itself is open to interpretation. I am not sure I understand this second order uncertainty.

RE