SCIENCE AND SCIENTIST

            The layman has no definite ideas about science. To him science includes chemistry, biology, astronomy, physics, etc. He is not sure whether engineering or medicine is science or not. But he is quite sure that art, religion and politics are not science at all. He cannot even define science.This scientist is more interested in doing scientific work than in defining it. When a scientist says that a book is unscientific he means that it is inexact, that it is badly arranged. He also means that the author of the book has not arrived at his personal prejudice to influence his subject matter. By scientific work he means that which is as exact as possible and is ordinary in arrangement.

            Science, in really, is a vast collection of clearly expressed facts the truth of which can be tested when one wishes to do so. It is also a collection of rules and laws which expresses the connection between these facts. In the old days when men acquired knowledge in a careless and irregular manner, and believed the statements of others without testing them science made little progress. But ever since they began to leaps and bounds.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q.1 What is meant by the phrase, the man in the street?

Ans. The phrase means a common man who is not an expert in any field of science.

Q.2 What does jumping to conclusion mean?

Ans. Jumping to conclusion means arriving quickly at result without testing the statements.

Q.3 What is the meaning of ‘object’ in the last science of the second paragraph? Give at least two other meanings with which the word can be used?

Ans. In this sentence the word ‘object’ means aim or purpose. Its two other meanings are ‘a noun is noun equivalent to which the action of a very is directed. For example, in the sentence I killed a snake, snake is the object because of the action of the verb ‘killed’ is directed to it. It also means thing. For example, ‘Killed’ is directed to it. It also means thing. For example, how many objects do you see here? As a verb, it means oppose. For instance I object to all his proposals.

Q.4 What is the meaning of unambiguous?

Ans. Unambiguous means clear.

Q.5 What is an experiment?

Ans. An experiment means observations of facts under controlled condition. We do so in order to test a theory.

Q.6 In not more than three sentences explain why the man in the street considers chemistry to be a science and art not to be a science.

Ans. The man in the street lightly knows that science deals with facts and not imagination. Chemistry experiments with physical facts, so he knows, it to be a science. Art is based on imagination, so he feels that it is not a science.

Q.7 “I know that fat people are stupid because I have a cousin who is fat and is very stupid.” Explain why these words reveal an unscientific outlook.

Ans. Science makes such experiments as results in universal truth. It does not lamb to conclusion without sufficient evidence. The scientist does not let his personal prejudices influence has report. Here the education has been drawn from the observer made of only one person’s character. So it reveals an unscientific outlook. The fact is that many-fat persons are stupid at all.

Q.8 “I always believed that girls are less intelligent than boys. I don’t care what the result of intelligence tests show. I am not going to change my mind. Explain why these words reveal unscientific outlook.

Ans. A person with a scientific attitude does not allow his personal prejudices to influence his judgement. But the statement is based on personal prejudice against girls. A scientific attitude makes one test one’s theories to see if they are correct or incorrect. The person making this statement does not care to hoots for the contradictory evidence of intelligence tests. Hence it is clear that this words reveal an unscientific attitude.

Q.9 Explain the difference between a fact of science and a law of science. If you are student of science, give an example of each.

Ans. Science deals with objects that we can see is our daily life. It is also a collection of rules and laws, which express connection between these facts.

Q.10 How do scientific prove that their facts are correct?

Ans. Scientists prove their facts to true by making various experiments to test their truth.