New Kinds of Science

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(Science and the Universe)
(Science and the Universe)
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'''Science''' is an enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the world. Traditionally we use mathematics to explain the physical world, which means theorems, equations, formulas and calculation. So there is a physical universe, and a mathematical universe, and both can be connected in a meaningful way with each other. Each science has its "own universe" which it tries to describe:  
'''Science''' is an enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the world. Traditionally we use mathematics to explain the physical world, which means theorems, equations, formulas and calculation. So there is a physical universe, and a mathematical universe, and both can be connected in a meaningful way with each other. Each science has its "own universe" which it tries to describe:  
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* Physics - physical or natural universe
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* Physics and Natural Science - physical or natural universe, worlds made by atoms
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* Economics - Markets
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* Biology - ..Cells
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* Sociology - Societies
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* Neuroscience - ..Neurons
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* Psychology - Humans
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* Economics - ..Markets
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* Neuroscience - Brains
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* Sociology - ..Social objects/Humans
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* Biology - Cells
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* Philosophy and Humanities - worlds made by words
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While the natural sciences consider worlds made by atoms, the humanities, esp. linguistics and philosophy, consider worlds made by words. Psychology is an interesting case somewhere in between culture and nature.
Yet there are some open questions: why are there any [[Theorem|theorem]]s at all? Could we use computation instead calculation as well? How can we explain social systems? [[Social system|Social systems]] are part of the physical world, but their form their own universe which is much harder to explain, because it is very complex. It does not contains spherical objects with identical properties, but individual, unique agents which act in unpredictable ways.
Yet there are some open questions: why are there any [[Theorem|theorem]]s at all? Could we use computation instead calculation as well? How can we explain social systems? [[Social system|Social systems]] are part of the physical world, but their form their own universe which is much harder to explain, because it is very complex. It does not contains spherical objects with identical properties, but individual, unique agents which act in unpredictable ways.

Revision as of 17:51, 26 February 2011

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