The scientific world view The world is understandable

科學的世界觀與基本假設 • 科學的世界觀 (The scientific world view) The world is understandable & the universe is a vast single system in which the basic rules are everywhere the same. • 科學的基本假設 世界的奧秘是人類可以理解的，而非人類無法瞭解的 宇宙各處所有的事物皆遵循同一套規則運作 Dr. Beckman 6

科學的「創造性」本質 • 科學知識是人用想像力創造出來的，而不是被發現的。 • Science is a blend of logic and imagination. • Inventing hypotheses or theories to imagine how the world works and figuring out how they can be put to the test of reality is as creative as writing poetry or composing music. • 範例 : 牛頓用想像力與邏輯推理「創造」出萬有引力定律。 Dr. Beckman 9

科學的「可驗性」本質 • 科學知識必須能用可靠的實驗觀測結果來作檢驗。 • Science demands evidence. • The essence of science is validation by experimentation. • No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong. ” Albert Einstein Dr. Beckman 10

科學的「發展性」本質 • 科學知識可能隨新証據的出現而需作改變 • Scientific knowledge is never “proven” in an absolute and final sense. It changes over time. • Scientific knowledge is tentative and should never be equated with truth. It has only temporary status. • 科學知識具有發展性與「時效性」 • 範例 : 托勒密地心日動說 vs. 哥白尼日心地動說 Dr. Beckman 11

Systems –「系統」 • System – a collection of interrelated things that constitute a unified whole. • A system defines the scope of scientific inquiry and focuses our attention on what is relevant. • 系統 (system) = 由許多相關聯的要素構成的整體。 清楚劃定研究的對象與範圍。 排除不相干的事物，將問題簡化。 • 範例: 鐘錶，太陽系。 Dr. Beckman 15

Constancy –「守恒定律」 • Constancy – aspects of systems that do not change. • Constancy (of some aspects of the system) signifies that it obeys certain conservation laws. • 守恒定律 (constancy) = 規範系統如何不隨時間而變 清楚展現系統整體的穩定與守恒。 以不變應萬變，將問題簡化。 • 範例： (1) 能量守恒定律 (2) 動量守恒定律 Dr. Beckman 16

Models –「理論與模型」 • Models – a simplified imitation of the system of phenomena, showing how things might work. • 理論與模型 (models) = 解釋預測系統的運作方式與原理 用來模擬系統如何運作 (how it works). 藉類比 (analogy) 解釋其運作方式與原理 (mechanism) 進而瞭解大自然為何如此 (why it obeys such laws? ) • Both physical models (實體模型) and conceptual models ( 理論模型) share some common attributes with reality, but only some. Therefore, they cannot tell us the whole story. Dr. Beckman 18

參考資料與延伸閱讀 • Rutherford, F. J. , & Ahlgren, A. (1990). Science for all Americans. New York: Oxford University Press. • Bronowski, J. (1978). The common sense of science. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. • 費曼 (民 91，吳程遠譯)。這個不科學的年代。台北： 天下文化。(ISBN : 986 -417 -056 -2) Dr. Beckman 19