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Culture: Science evolved through passionate observations

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Culture

Science evolved through passionate observations

SEP 26, 2015: Of the chicken and egg stories…

By L.D. Kala
The field of study named science evolved as a particular way of thinking and working. It is primarily based on reasoning,
i.e. the thought that there is reason behind every phenomenon, event, outcome, existence, in fact virtually behind
everything that has happened or we see happening. This questioning attitude automatically evolved a way of working that
followed a pattern and this is what is known as the 'method of science'.

We try to recreate the situations which led to discoveries and understand the process by taking an example or two. In the
process we explore the evolution of the reasoning that has metamorphosed the human civilisation. That how science as a
body of knowledge evolved and how it progressed this far? We try to imagine and recreate the process of discovery.
Discovery of fire, known to be one of the very first discoveries made by the modern man, may be a good example.
There must have been observant natured persons amongst the population living in those times amongst the ranks of
human ancestors of the Stone Age (about a million years ago). The earth may have been not much different from today.
Trees and plants would have been in abundance. There may have been plenty of forests. Human beings would have had
settled around rivers for water is essential need of living beings. They would have noticed wild fires and that may had
been their first encounter with fire. On closer approach to the fire, they may have learnt that it burns when in contact.
They may have also noticed the utility of fire, that the fire roasted eatables taste deliciously different, that it makes land
free of the plants wherever it takes place, and so on. This must have made them realize the importance of fire for them
and raised the curiosity towards generation and creation of fire.
The observant persons must have met together and discussed the phenomenon in great details. The probability of noticing
fire naturally causing by striking two hard stones together lies more in hill regions than the plains. Those living in hilly
regions may have noticed accidently that when some stones strike upon each other during fall from the slope for
whatever reason, fire got generated and the dry biomass around caught fire. This is same the incident as one of the cause
of forest fire is attributed to stones striking one another in hill forests in summer months.
They must then have noticed this happen on a number of occasions and reaffirmed the phenomenon. The impression may
have got firmed up in their minds that rubbing of stones generates fire. There may have followed a number of attempts at
recreating the same situation by striking hard stones together. And one day on one occasion, they may have achieved
remarkable repeatable success in generating fire this way. It may not have been a matter of days or months, it may have
had been decades or centuries since the first attempt towards this was made.
Innumerable later attempts would have resulted in mastering creation of fire this way. Several decades may have gone
further in teaching this act to others in the group. The group or collective that would have mastered this act first may have
ruled over all the other groups in the vicinity within their reach. For centuries, this may have been the defining factor in
deciding the territorial or various other kinds of supremacies.
Please take note of the fact that even today we see new additions to this as we see new gadgets to produce fire. This is
because it is natural with human beings to try and adopt newer things.
Every new invention or discovery in the path of progress of human civilization must have passed through the same
painstaking process. Sky gazing, to take another example, must have been a source of utmost curiosity as well favourite
past time since eternity and for some it would have been a passion in the times of Stone Age too. This developed into the

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eternally interesting subject of astronomy. Our knowledge indicates that some sort of significance in the results of those
observations since eternity were noted only for past few thousand years. Indians, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Romans,
recorded some findings during this time only. The true nature of interrelations and behaviour of the celestial bodies was
discovered during this time only. The universe was believed to be 'geocentric' earlier; it was only recently that the myth
was broken and that it actually was 'heliocentric' or 'sun-centric'
All the activities leading to such discoveries have evolved a process known as 'method of science'. It was the
methodology common to all these discoveries. It was not that all these discoveries were achieved by adopting this
process, but the procedure was observed to be repeated commonality in all such exercises yielding one or the other
discovery. Each new addition generation to the body of knowledge reconfirmed this methodology, not just to science
alone but also to any other field of knowledge including humanities. 'Method of science��(TM) was here accepted and
adopted as a process to be followed for knowledge creation, wherever there is scope and questions to awaiting answers.
In the next article we shall continue this discussion to details of ��~method of science'.
The monograph published by the Geological Society of India, recalls that "Science is, however, a human endeavour and is
subject to personal prejudices, misapprehensions, and bias. Over time, however, repeated reproduction and verification of
observations and experimental results can overcome these weaknesses. That is one of the strengths of the scientific
process."
'Method of science' paves the way for minimizing influences on results by personal, social or unreasonable influences.
This has enabled science to be seen as a pathway to study phenomena in the world, based upon reproducibly testable and
verifiable evidence. This pathway must ultimately have a conclusion that is testable and falsifiable; otherwise, it is not
science. [The Delhi-based columnist is a technologist, science writer and a film maker, can be reached at emai:
ldkala@yahoo.com.]

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