Overview

This book looks at how science investigates the natural world around us. It is an examination of the scientific method, the foundation of science, and basis on which our scientific knowledge is built on. Written in a clear, concise, and colloquial style, the book addresses all concepts pertaining to the scientific method. It includes discussions on objective reality, hypotheses and theory, and the fundamental and inalienable role of experimental evidence in scientific knowledge. This collection of personal reflections on the scientific methodology shows the observations and daily uses of an experienced practitioner. Massimiliano Di Ventra also examines the limits of science and the errors we make when abusing its method in contexts that are not scientific, for example, in policymaking. By reflecting on the general method, the reader can critically sort through other types of scientific claims, and judge their ability to apply it in study and in practice.

Full Product Details

Author:   Massimiliano Di Ventra (Professor of Physics, Professor of Physics, University of California, San Diego, USA)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 13.00cm , Height: 0.70cm , Length: 19.70cm
Weight:   0.156kg
ISBN:  

9780198825623

ISBN 10:   0198825625
Pages:   130
Publication Date:   02 August 2018
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

1: Science without Philosophy? 2: Material World and Objective Reality 3: First Principles and Logic 4: Natural Phenomena and the Primacy of Experiment 5: Observation and Experimentation 6: The Role of Human Faith in Science 7: Approximate and Limited Description of Natural Phenomena 8: Hypothesis 9: Theory 10: Competing Theories 11: Can One Theory be Derived from Another? 12: Verifying or Falsifying? And What? 13: Don't be a Masochist! 14: Consensus in Science? What is That? 15: Flow Chart of the Scientific Method 16: The What and Why Questions 17: Scientism : Abusing the Scientific Method 18: Final Thoughts Further Readings About the Author Index

Reviews

This is a timely book in an era of fake news and pseudoscience. * Nature Astronomy *

Author Information

Massimiliano Di Ventra is Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego. His research interests are in the theory of electronic and transport properties of nanoscale systems, non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, DNA sequencing/polymer dynamics in nanopores, and memory effects in nanostructures for applications in unconventional computing and biophysics. He has been invited to deliver more than 270 talks worldwide on these topics.

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