Sunday, May 17, 2020

Can Science Prove Anything

What does it mean to prove a scientific theory? Whats the role of mathematics in science? How do you define the scientific method? Take a look at the fundamental way people look at science, what proof means, and whether a hypothesis can be proven or unprovable. The Conversation Begins The story starts with  an e-mail which seemed to criticize my support of the big bang theory which is, after all, unprovable. The author of the e-mail indicated that he thought this was tied into the fact that in my Introduction to the Scientific Method article, I have the following line: Analyze the data - use proper mathematical analysis to see if the results of the experiment support or refute the hypothesis. He implied that placing an emphasis on mathematical analysis was misleading. He claimed that mathematics was tacked on later, by theoreticians believed that science could be better explained using equations and arbitrarily assigned constants. According to the writer, mathematics can be manipulated to get the results desired, based on the scientists preconceptions, such as what Einstein did with the cosmological constant. There are a lot of great points in this explanation, and several which I feel are far wide of the mark. Lets consider them point by point over the next few days. Why all Scientific Theories Are Unprovable The big bang theory is absolutely unprovable. In fact, all scientific theories are unprovable, but the big bang does suffer from this a bit more than most. When I say that all scientific theories are unprovable, Im referencing the ideas of famed philosopher of science Karl Popper, who is well known for discussing the idea that a scientific idea must be falsifiable. In other words, there has to be some way (in principle, if not in actual practice) that you could have an outcome which contradicts a scientific idea. Any idea which can be constantly shifted around so that any sort of evidence would fit it is, by Poppers definition, not a scientific idea. (This is why the concept of God, for example, is not scientific. Those who believe in God use pretty much everything to support their claim and cannot come up with evidence -- at least short of dying and finding that nothings happened, which unfortunately yields little in the way of empirical data in this world -- which could, even in theory, refute their claim.) One consequence of Poppers work with falsifiability is the understanding that you never really prove a theory. What scientists do is instead come up with implications of the theory, make hypotheses based on those implications, and then try to prove that specific hypothesis true or false through either experiment or careful observation. If the experiment or observation matches the prediction of the hypothesis, the scientist has gained support for the hypothesis (and therefore the underlying theory), but has not proven it. Its always possible that theres another explanation for the result. However, if the prediction is proven false, then the theory might have serious flaws. Not necessarily, of course, because there are three potential stages that could contain the flaw: the experimental set-upthe reasoning that led to the hypothesis the underlying theory itself Evidence which contradicts the prediction may just be a result of an error in running the experiment, or it could mean that the theory is sound, but the way the scientist (or even scientists in general) interpreted it has some flaws. And, of course, its possible that the underlying theory is just flat out wrong. So let me state categorically that the big bang theory is completely unprovable ... but it is consistent, by and large, with everything else we know about the universe. There are still many mysteries, but very few scientists believe that they will be answered without some variation of the big bang in the distant past. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

mood, substance, and personality disorders Essay - 1729 Words

Mood, Substance, and Personality Disorders nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Do you know a person that has sudden mood swings? Do you wonder why they act like they do? Their actions could be a result of a type of mood disorder. Mood disorders are part of the Axis One disorders that are found in the DSM IV. Axis One is all categories of disorders except for personality disorders. People who have mood disorders are diagnosed to have a pattern of severe depressive and manic episodes. One major mood disorder that will be discussed is bipolar disorder. People who are bipolar tend to have episodes of both mania and depression, sometime by themselves or sometimes mixed. Some of the symptoms are a very active social life, rapid speech, racing†¦show more content†¦The movie showed just how difficult it is to live with the disorder and how drastic manic and depressive episodes can be. However, in the movie Dr Brown falls in love with the charming and talented Mr. Jones. She then stopped treating him because it was not professional; she later resigned from her job completely. This is the only part of the movie that was not accurate because if that relationship occurred in every day life, Dr. Brown would have been disciplined farther. She probably would have lost her license. Overall, I thought the movie was excellent and it was cast perfectly. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Substance-related disorders include several diagnoses. Substances are used to change a person’s mood and consciousness which usually leads to addiction. The main concerns of this disorder are drinking problems, nicotine problems, marijuana problems, stimulants problems, and hallucinogen problems. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in the United States: 18% of men and 8% of women have alcohol related disorders. There are three different kinds of disorders caused by alcohol: alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, and alcohol induced disorders. Alcohol dependence occurs when a person loses control of their alcohol consumption. It indicates that there is addiction, high tolerance, and there will be symptoms of withdrawal. People with this disorder feel better when they are wasted than when they are sober. Symptoms of withdrawal includeShow MoreRelatedPsychological And Emotional Hazards Of Nurses1612 Words   |  7 Pagesexperiencing psychological disorders; however, they are biologically human and prone to the vast spectrum of mental defects. Health care providers need to recognize that pilots are human and at risk of mental instability. Pilots are at risk of psychological disorders and triggers such as adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactive disorder, mood disorder, organic mental disorders, personality disorder, psychotic disorder, and substance abuse. 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A personality disorder is a very rigid pattern of inner experience and outward behavior. According to SAMHSA over 8.9 million persons have co-occurring disorders; that is that they have both mental and substance use disorders. Only 7.4% receive treatment and 55.8% receive no treatment at all. 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A person with BPD have feelings of abandonment and emptiness, and have frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, going to extremes to keep someone from leaving (Burger 300). He or she is emotionally unstable

Hitler Facts Essay free essay sample

Unemployment in Germany rose to 6 million. The government did not know what to do. In July 1930 Chancellor Bruning cut government expenditure, wages and unemployment pay the worst thing to do during a depression. He could not get the Reichstag to agree to his actions, so President Hindenburg used Article 48 to pass the measures by decree. * The Nazis gain support Anger and bitterness helped the Nazis to gain more support. Many workers turned to communism, but this frightened wealthy businessmen, so they financed Hitlers campaigns. Many middle-class people, alarmed by the obvious failure of democracy, decided that the country needed a strong government. Nationalists and racists blamed the Treaty of Versailles and reparations. * By July 1932, the Nazis held 230 seats In 1928, the Nazis had only 12 seats in the Reichstag; by July 1932 they had 230 seats and were the largest party. The government was in chaos. President Hindenburg dismissed Bruning in 1932. His replacement Papen lasted six months, and the next chancellor Schleicher only lasted two months. We will write a custom essay sample on Hitler Facts Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hindenburg had to use Article 48 to pass almost every law. * Hitler handed power on a plate In January 1933, Hindenburg and Papen came up with a plan to get the Nazis on their side by offering to make Hitler vice chancellor. He refused and demanded to be made chancellor. They agreed, thinking they could control him. In January 1933, Hitler became chancellor, and immediately set about making himself absolute ruler of Germany using Article 48. Reasons why Hitler rose to power 1. Hitler was a great speaker, with the power to make people support him. 2. The moderate political parties would not work together, although together they had more support than the Nazis. 3. The depression of 1929 created poverty and unemployment, which made people angry with the Weimar government. People lost confidence in the democratic system and turned towards the extremist political parties such as the Communists and Nazis during the depression. 4. The Nazi storm troopers attacked Hitlers opponents. . Goebbels propaganda campaign was very effective and it won support for the Nazis. The Nazis targeted specific groups of society with different slogans and policies to win their support. 6. Hitler was given power in a seedy political deal by Hindenburg and Papen who foolishly thought they could control him. 7. German people were still angry about the Treaty of Versailles and supported Hitler because he promised to overturn it. 8. Industrialists gave Hitler money and support.