Throughout history, we have become increasingly better at understanding the way the world works. This understanding began with simple observations of our world that remained the accepted truth for centuries. Our observations explained what we didn’t know; we were able to use intuition to find out about the world and the universe, which became a central part of the knowledge we had during our development. Almost all of that was wrong. Through the establishment of empirical science, we have discovered that many old ideas that we had accepted as fact were in fact fallacious. This marked a shift from assumption based on logic and instinct that could be at fault to the challenging of old ideas, which has been essential to the advancement of humanity. Often, new theories seem ludicrous when introduced, but it is many of these theories that become a fundamental part of us. It is the ability to think different and question accepted knowledge that has pushed us forward, and there was no bigger contribution to our species than the ideas of quantum mechanics, the preposterous theory proposed in the early twentieth century, but that has revolutionized the world as we know it. Niels Bohr, one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics, immersed himself in the subatomic world of weird and wonderful things, introducing an entirely new way to think about the way the universe works, one that pays no attention to logic. Bohr made breakthrough discoveries on how the building blocks of the universe work, challenged conventional wisdom, and put humanity on the cutting-edge of becoming what it is today, opening up many more possibilities for the future. Niels Bohr initiated the advancement of countless scientific studies through his discovery of the stru... ... middle of paper ... ...ore changes in the future. This ability to accept that we have made mistakes in the past and use those errors to push to the future is what forms an inherent part of human nature. Those that can consider new ideas that may push beyond the limits of all preconceived knowledge are the ones who represent our species, as throughout our history we have questioned what we were told as fact. This will to change composes the way we make progress, the way science works, and the way our species moves from ignorance to wisdom, through rebellion and ingenuity. No attribute will ever be more central to our development as a species than the introduction of new ideas and their gradual acceptance among us, and our increasing ability to be open to these new theories is what will dramatically alter us, and will ultimately lead to our full understanding of the universe and who we are.
This suggests that to gain knowledge, one must be open-minded to new topics and ideas that another might have to expand
A famous thought experiment in quantum physics is that of Schrödinger’s cat. In this experiment, a cat is placed in a box with poison that has a chance to either explode, killing the cat, or not explode, allowing the kitty to live. Although some would object, we ought to open the box to see if the cat is alive or not. Similarly, we should attempt to uncover reality instead of accepting the current dogma. In his article, “Can the Sciences Help Us to Make Wise Ethical Judgements?” Paul Kurtz argues that not only can science help through inquiry but it already plays an active role in shaping our moral conduct. According to him, ethical judgement and science meet somewhat halfway and although we cannot come up with a specific set of instructions
physics. The work of Ernest Rutherford, H. G. J. Moseley, and Niels Bohr on atomic
...tarted rationalizing their emotions, the clarity of evolution dawned upon their eyes, and of acceptance of new foreign ideas. Here was a thing that not only could explain the mysteries of life, but also serve as testimonial to the foolishness of pride. Evolution was a hallmark in the relations between science and religion, as the two sides realized neither was trying to undermine the other, and even in some cases joined in union to promote humanities advancement. The story of evolution is significant to history not only because of its scientific achievements, but also the gap it bridged between the scientific and religious community, and the lesson it taught that acceptance of new ideas does not have to mean the end of prior beliefs altogether. No other scientific revolution has generated as much human controversy and unity as Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
... something we have not yet discovered. We have seen the objections of yesterday as the legends of today. Now we must stand strong to make our own decisions and see things through our own eyes and touch it with our two hands, because it is through experience and challenge that we all grow and discover new ideas.
The novel, Alice and Quantum Land, by Robert Gilmore is an adventure in the Quantum universe. Alice, a normal teenage girl, goes through quantum land and understands what quantum is and how it works. The quantum world is a difficult one to understand, as its nature is one of complex states of being, natures, principles, notions, and the like. When these principles or concepts are compared with the macro world, one can find great similarities and even greater dissimilarities between the world wherein electrons rule, and the world wherein human beings live. In Alice in Quantumland, author Robert Gilmore converts the original tale of Alice in Wonderland from a world of anthropomorphic creatures into the minute world of quantum mechanics, and attempts to ease the reader into this confusing world through a series of analogies (which comprise an allegory) about the principles of quantum mechanics. Through Alice’s adventure she comes across some ideas or features that contradict real world ideas. These ideas are the following: Electrons have no distinguishing spin, the Pauli Exclusion Principle, Superposition, Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and Interference and Wave Particle Duality.
The book gives us the vision that we have a way now to change other species and even our destiny. Everyone should be aware of this new-found ability and they should be aware of its ups and downs. It is hard to define what is natural today. Organisms have always influenced each other in subtle and significant ways. The difference is the artificial selection; human came in and added unnatural tools with human purpose and desire.
For over a hundred years now a battle has been raging over the origin of the Universe and man. Soldiers of Science have drawn the battle lines with each side using various scientific and non - scientific theories as their weapons.
The author tells of how waves are effected by quantum mechanic. He also discusses the fact that electromagnetic radiation, or photons, are actually particles and waves. He continues to discuss how matter particles are also matter, but because of their h bar, is so small, the effects are not seen. Green concludes the quantum mechanics discussion by talking about the uncertainty principle.Chapter 5: The need for a New Theory: General Relativity vs.
...erefore we must seek to better understand it. It is unfortunate that the ideologies of the men mentioned here have still implemented themselves in our culture. While their premises are valid and vastly important in the history of humankind, one must be careful to discern what is relevant in today's society and what was the experimental leanings and philosophies of the past.
Second Paper “I shall briefly explain how I conceive of this matter. Look round the world: Contemplate the whole and every part of it: You will find it to be nothing but one great machine, subdivided into an infinite number of lesser machines, which again admit subdivisions, to a degree beyond what human senses and faculties can trace and explain. All these various machines, and even their most minute parts, are adjusted to each other with an accuracy, which ravishes into admiration all men, who have ever contemplated them. The curious adapting of means to ends, throughout all nature, resembles, though it much exceeds, the production of human contrivance; of human design, thought, wisdom, and intelligence. Since therefore the effects resemble each other, we are led to infer, by all the rules of analogy, that the causes also resemble; and that the author of nature is somewhat similar to the mind of man; though possessed of much larger faculties, proportioned to the grandeur of the work, which he has executed.
Stemming from the first years of the 20th century, quantum mechanics has had a monumental influence on modern science. First explored by Max Planck in the 1900s, Einstein modified and applied much of the research in this field. This begs the question, “how did Einstein contribute to the development and research of quantum mechanics?” Before studying how Einstein’s research contributed to the development of quantum mechanics, it is important to examine the origins of the science itself. Einstein took much of Planck’s experimental “quantum theory” research and applied it in usable ways to existing science. He also greatly contributed to the establishment of the base for quantum mechanics research today. Along with establishing base research in the field, Einstein’s discoveries have been modified and updated to apply to our more advanced understanding of this science today. Einstein greatly contributed to the foundation of quantum mechanics through his research, and his theories and discoveries remain relevant to science even today.
Evolutionary theory throws humans into a tizzy. Driven by the need to amass knowledge, we find ourselves surging forward into the exploration of a story where the more we know, the less we can feature ourselves. Eminent evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr contends that anthropocentrism and belief in evolution by natural selection are mutually exclusive (Mayr 1972). In other words, the Darwinian story of biological evolution rejects the notion of progress and replaces it with directionless change, thereby subverting the conception of human superiority on a biological scale toward perfection. Evolution by natural selection undermines the idea that humans are the culmination and ultimate beneficiaries of all nature. However, to say that anthropocentrism necessarily dissolves in the rising tide of evolutionary theory is to ignore the ways in which human centered humanness plays an intriguing role in evolution.
...free thought to a degree that has never before been available to us. This will bring about a new age of enlightenment, so to speak. He concludes by saying ‘the sea, our sea, lies open again; maybe there has never been such an open sea.’
During the seventeenth century, the modern science of physics started to emerge and become a widespread tool used around the world. Many prominent people contributed to the build up of this fascinating field and managed to generally define it as the science of matter and energy and their interactions. However, as we know, physics is much more than that. It explains the world around us in every form imaginable. The study of physics is a fundamental science that helps the advancing knowledge of the natural world, technology and aids in the other sciences and in our economy. Without the field of physics, the world today would be a complete mystery, everything would be different because of the significance physics has on our life as individuals and as a society.