Category Archives: Philosophy of Science

Ability to Think Scientifically Declines as Kids Grow Up

Young children think like researchers but lose the feel for the scientific method as they age        via Scientific American If your brownies came out too crispy on top but undercooked in the center, it would make sense … Continue reading

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Anecdotal Evidence cartoon

via smbc

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How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Why subjective anecdotes often trump objective data By Michael Shermer  | July 25, 2008 | 27 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-anecdotal-evidence-can-undermine-scientific-results The recent medical controversy over whether vaccinations cause autism reveals a habit of human cognition—thinking anecdotally comes naturally, whereas thinking scientifically does not.

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Happiness, Philosophy and Science

By GARY GUTTING  NYTimes ‘The Stone’ http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/author/gary-gutting/   Extract below (useful bit) The new research has both raised hopes and provoked skepticism.  Psychologists such as Sonja Lyubomirsky have developed a new genre of self-help books, purporting to replace the intuitions … Continue reading

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Peace of Mind: Near-Death Experiences Now Found to Have Scientific Explanations

Seeing your life pass before you and the light at the end of the tunnel, can be explained by new research on abnormal functioning of dopamine and oxygen flow By Charles Q. Choi Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=peace-of-mind-near-death Near-death experiences are often thought of … Continue reading

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Homeopathic leak threatens catastrophe

What is the role of humour here…? http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2011/09/09/homeopathic-leak-threatens-catastrophe/ An accidental release of highly dilute homeopathic waste from a research institute in Swindon has led to calls for the centre to be shut down.  Plant operators have admitted responsibility for massive … Continue reading

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Post modernism explained?

Obviously simplistic, but ripe for comment!

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What’s logic got to do with it? – Some of the greatest flashes of scientific inspiration were sparked by utterly illogical thinking.

POPULAR belief has it that science is the preserve of logical Mr Spocks. A great scientific discovery must surely spring from a series of logical steps, each taken coolly and calmly, in the rational order. But take some time to … Continue reading

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Top Ten Evolution Myths – and how we know it really happened (pdf)

Often misunderstandings about evolution are really misunderstandings about how science operates.  This document deals with both rather nicely.  Philosophy of Science. From the Skeptics Society.    Top Ten Evolution Myths (pdf)

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Richard Feynman on the nature of science

A beautiful analogy between science and chess.

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Consciousness – science tackles the self (pdf)

We know that we are aware of ourselves. But we don’t know how. And we are not even sure why. The answers may lie in the physical processes of consciousness 01 April 1989 by SUSAN BLACKMORE New Scientists Magazine issue … Continue reading

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Critical Thinking beautifully explained

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Philosophy in Senior Schools

(From my appearance on ABC Radio National’s ‘Philosopher’s Zone) http://www.abc.net.au/rn/philosopherszone/stories/2007/1911312.htm Philosophy is about asking childlike questions – how do we know the world exists? How do we know it hasn’t just started existing? Why can’t we go back in time? … Continue reading

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Some important tools of critical thinking

(from my Ockham’s Razor appearance on the ABC’s Radio National) http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ockhamsrazor/stories/2010/2975629.htm  Robyn Williams: And now, the bad news. No, don’t run off – this is interesting – even Quite Interesting, as Stephen Fry might say. Here I’ll quote directly from a … Continue reading

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Meat without slaughter: ‘6 months’ to bio-sausages – science-in-society – 31 August 2011 – New Scientist

Meat without slaughter: ‘6 months’ to bio-sausages – science-in-society – 31 August 2011 – New Scientist.

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Teaching the Nature of Science

Three Critical Questions By Randy L. Bell, Ph.D. Teaching the Nature of Science

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Numbers and Language

Do we need language to understand the basics of numbers? Mind, Science. TOK. Numbers and Language (pdf)

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Indian High Court Rules Astrology is a Science

MUMBAI: Astrology has been debunked by most world scientists including India’s renowned physicist Prof. Yash Pal. However, it is “science” in India. Philosophy of religion, philosophy of science,TOK, appeal to tradition, logical fallacies, reasoning. Astrology is a science_ Bombay HC … Continue reading

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Theory of Knowledge – Sense Perception

Teaching the Nature of Science.pdf  

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Evolution comic

One of the best and most easily understood introductions to evolution around. Philosophy of science. Evolution comic (pdf)

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