One Final Thought

In my first reflection titled "My Reflection on Umbrellaology," I defined science as a way of thinking about the natural world, which involves a set of tools that can approve or disapprove a specific hypothesis through predications and experiments. My definition of science has been reinforced since I've joined STP, however slightly polished. 

In our last virtual meeting, professor Robbins gave us an exciting presentation that helped me have a more open mind about science. The presentation included a simple mathematical prediction of the space between a planet and the Sun. My initial take that those numbers were just a coincidence. That might be true; however, they helped predict

the orbit of Ceres in the asteroid belt and Uranus but failed to predict Neptune's orbit. After digging a little deeper, I learned that this mathematical prediction is known as Titius-Bode Law. I wonder if professor Robbins left the term Law out of his presentation for a reason? 

Titius-Bode Law's failure to predict the orbit of Neptune does not make it useless in previous domains. Newton's Laws of gravity can not explain the orbit of Mercury, but General Relativity can; that doesn't mean we get to through away Newton's Laws or even label them as non-scientific just because they failed at a particular region in the universe. 

The main point I took from STP is that science is a complex body that requires close attention to every detail that will vary in one way or another. STP gave me the perspective that science is this beautifully complicated motor engine with particular parts that perform specific tasks to help that vehicle be driven. Knowing that engine requires a detailed understanding of each part, which needs a particular tool that can help look or unlock it from its place. Some of those tools will work on certain parts, but that does not guarantee that they would work on the rest. 

This way of thinking, my primary definition of science, has brought me closer to have a much better understanding of what and how science works. 

This new enlightenment of science will empower me to see further than ever before when I stand on the shoulder of the giants, not in science alone, but in the way, I perceive my own life as well.

(Referencing a quote from Sir Isaac Newton just gave me goosebumps, I don't know why?)