Who was Richard Feynman?

Stories from Genius, by Gleck –kids look in encyclopedia –shrink into carpet –first presentation Wolfgang Pauli (‘45) Enrico Fermi (‘38) Albert Einstein (‘21) –math text selection committee

1965 Nobel prize for quantumelectrodynamics (QED)

From Kuhn: What is science? Constellation of facts theories and methods collected in current texts –science historian must id the time, place and person who discovered each fact –SH must explain myths, error and superstition of prior scientific eras –myths seem to be as scientific as current fact

From Kuhn: What is science? The historical integrity of science in its own time –science methods are insufficient to direct all scientific conclusions –observation and experience must restrict the range of scientific belief –there is also and arbitrary element –"normal science" predicated upon the belief that we know what the world is like –Incommensurable

What is science? Science or Magic? Feynman –a method of finding things out –a body of knowledge –technology: new things you can do

The contrast Constellation of facts theories and methods collected in current texts Judged by –The historical integrity of science in its own time A method of finding things out A body of knowledge Technology: new things you can do Judged by observation!

The Method Principle of observation “prove” means “test” –See description, later

The body Earth on an elephant on a tortoise that swam in a bottomless sea What is at the edge of the universe?

Technology Economists call this the product Is this the justification for Science? –Feynman says no, just as Hardy defended mathematics

Social World Includes the human element of natural sciences Cold hard facts?

Social science: relationships Describing Explaining Predicting Controlling

Describing: principle of observation observations are not the laws –As believed in the Middle ages experiments are always inaccurate (spinning top, weight and 186,000 mph) experiments are incomplete natural: excludes questions of “should” or “value” does SW include “should” and “value”?

Consequences of observation principle observation cannot be “rough” science must be thorough –But not all “thorough” is scientific interpretation can be wrong objectivity is required –but not present!

The Nature of Evidence in the Social Sciences Indirect No controlled experiments Stages: construct hypotheses, test validity

Explaining: How (natural) and why (social)

Predicting: “Knowledge is of no real value if all you can tell me is what happened yesterday” (Feynman) “rules”: –The more specific, the better –inverse square law of gravitation models theory –yield valid and meaningful predictions about phenomena not yet observed (Friedman)

Controlling Behavior modification Economic prosperity

Uncertainty does not mean unknowing “All scientific knowledge is uncertain.” Doubt opens the doors to new ideas Doubt erases past mistakes