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S c i e n t i f i c R e a s o n i n g
The products of science are all around us. We depend on science when we drive cars,
listen to compact discs, and cook food in microwaves. Still, few people understand
how science operates. To some, the scientific enterprise seems to consist of nothing
more than amassing huge quantities of data to prove or disprove some hypothesis.
There is more to science than that. Scientists also seek theories that are profound and
far-reaching, or even elegant and beautiful, as is shown by how scientists themselves
speak about their theories. The goal of scientific theory is not just to list and describe
natural phenomena but to make sense of nature—that is, to explain it, make it more
intelligible. To choose among conflicting scientific theories, we have to decide which
theory makes the most sense and provides the best explanations. This chapter will
bring out this complex nature of science by discussing the scientific enterprise in
general and then focusing on a particular debate about biological evolution.STANDARD SCIENCE
The beginning of science lies in observation. When we look at the world
around us, we see that many things happen. Apples fall off trees, the leaves
of some trees change color in the autumn, the tides come in and go out,
chickens lay eggs, and so on. One job of scientists is to describe and classify
what happens and what exists. But scientists also wonder why some things
happen rather than others. Maple trees change color in the fall, and spruce
trees do not, but why? Chickens lay eggs, and monkeys do not, but why?
A sphere of wood floats in water, and a gold sphere does not, but why? And
why does gold float when pressed into the shape of a boat? These questions
ask for explanations.
To provide an explanation, scientists often give arguments of the kind
discussed in Chapter 1. The event to be explained is derived from a general
principle plus a statement of initial conditions or particular facts. For exam-
ple, given the general principle that a solid sphere floats in water if and only
if it is less dense than water, and also given the particular facts that wood
is less dense than water, whereas gold is denser than water, we can explain
why a wooden sphere floats in water and a gold sphere does not.97364_ch20_ptg01_423-448.indd 423 15/11/13 12:09 3M
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