STS MIDTERM EXAMS REVIEWER Flashcards
general way of conducting scientific work
scientific method
steps of the scientific method
observation
determination of the problem
formulation of a hypothesis
experimentation or testing of the hypothesis
analysis of the data gathered
formulation of conclusions and recommendations
see if there are unexplained occurrences that are unfolding
observation
come up with unanswered questions which need to be solved
determination of the problems
an intelligent guess, or possible way of solving the determined problem.
formulation of a hypothesis
to get data on how the factors which had contributed to the problem affect each other.
experimentation or testing of the hypothesis
to come up with possible solutions to the identified problems.
analysis of results or data gathered
to be able to solve the determined problems.
formulation of conclusions and provide recommendations
This theory proposes that a discipline is a science if it can be confirmed or interpreted in the event of an alternative hypothesis being accepted, if it can be verified.
verification theory
an early 20th century group of scholars in Austria forwarded that only those that can be observed should be regarded as meaningful, those which cannot be directly proven are meaningless.
vienna circle
why was the verification theory stopped being supported
the rise of discoveries in physics that cannot be easily seen
meaning of eudaimonia
“good spirited” do describe the peak of happiness of humans. also referred as “human flourishing””
where does human flourishing come from according to aristotle?
result of phronesis (the habit of making the right decisions and taking the right actions in context and relentless pursuit of excellence for the common good) friendship, wealth and power, since these bring happiness to people.
what is the “sixth extinction or the anthropocene extinction
the growing population of humans have led to the death of animal species through hunting and agriculture
Lesser women and children die during birth because of technological advances in medicine and health, which gave rise to an increase in population and workforce. Premature infants were incubated to help them survive and develop. Maternal screening ensures the health of mothers before, during and after giving birth.
Mortality Rate
Before, wars were fought mainly through man to man combat. Technology increased the ability of countries to go into war. Medical advances from gene tests to the treatment of cancer, and sickness from viruses and bacteria increased the chances of people to live longer lives. Premature infants were incubated to help them survive and develop.
Average Lifespan
Technology enabled people to learn from about the world without getting out of their seats. It also enabled learners to study without having to attend regular classroom settings such as online courses or colleges, or open universities. It is the aim of easier access to education to build an informed society, which could lead to a more reasonable or fair society.
Literacy Rate
It is used to determine the value of the goods and services manufactured within a country in a given period. A country with a higher GDP indicates higher production, which is related to the presence of technology in its manufacturing, communication and financial processes.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP
was considered a proponent of phenomenology and existentialism, observed that because of technology, “all distances in time and space are shrinking” and “yet the hasty setting aside of all distances brings no nearness; for nearness does not consist in a small amount of distance.”
Martin Heidegger
According to Socrates, it is better to suffer wrongdoing than doing something wrong. The morally good person, according to Plato, enjoys an inner harmony, which a rich, powerful, but wicked person cannot enjoy. Plato stated in his work, the Republic, that in the afterlife, the virtuous people are rewarded, while the wicked people are punished.
The Moral Life: A good life is a virtuous life.
The philosopher who had bluntly, boldly, declared that a good life should be a life of pleasure or enjoyment is Epicurus. According to him, enjoying things such as food, drink, sex, and other indulgences, should be felt by the senses.
The Life of Pleasure: A good life should feel good.
Epicurus did not encourage people to lose themselves in pleasurable immorality, shamelessness or depravity because of the following reasons
- Overindulgence causes health problems, which in the long run would limit the enjoyment of pleasurable things;
- “Higher” pleasures such as friendship and study; are as important as the pleasures of the flesh;
- The good life should be virtuous, as was promoted by Socrates and Plato.
Plato’s student, Greek philosopher Aristotle, believes people live life to find happiness. Happiness is the end of all things people work for. He agrees with Socrates that a good life is a moral life, he agrees with Epicurus that a good life should have many pleasurable experiences.
The Fulfilled Life: The good life is the happy life.
what are the objective conditions arsitotle said that should be present to have a happy life?
- Virtue: Having a moral life.
- Health: Good health and a reasonably long life.
- Prosperity: People should be comfortably well-off that they do not need to work doing something they don’t want to.
- Friendship: Good friends. Human beings are innately social; a good life can’t be that of a hermit, or a recluse.
- Respect. People should enjoy the respect of others, ideally, a person’s qualities and achievements should be recognized by others.
- Good luck. Anybody can be unhappy because of a tragic loss, accident or misfortune.
- Fulfillment: People must be able to use their abilities and capacities such as
scientific work, philosophical discussions, or artistic creation.
In terms of human flourishing, matter is what makes us attain happiness. The materials that we possess give us ultimate happiness.
Materialism
led by Epicurus. They were exposed to the idea that to generate happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and be apathetic. This group believe that happiness can only be attained by a careful practice of apathy.
Stoicism
they see the end goal of life acquiring pleasure. Pleasure has always been the number one priority of them. They believe that pleasure give meaning to their life without thinking of the future.
Hedonism
Most people find the meaning of their lives using God as the fulcrum of their existence.
Theism
man is literally the captain of his own ship. They see themselves not merely a steward of the creation but as individuals who are in control of themselves and the whole world around them.
humanism
what are the two types of robots?
autonomous and remote-controlled robots
are controlled by humans (see Predator and ASIMO from the previous pages), or have programs stored inside their memories (as the case of the driverless cars)
remote-controlled robots
are the ones that think and decide by themselves without human intervention or control. It is these second types that artificial intelligence (AI) researchers and scientists were still trying to construct.
autonomous robots
what are the problems with robots
They are not able to accomplish two key tasks that humans can do: pattern recognition and common sense.
A professor of theoretical physics in the City of New York wrote about how the lives of people will be run by technology until the year 2100.
Dr. Michio Kaku
Book of Dr. Michio Kaku
Physics of the Future (2011)
Japan, US and India have been using an equipment that to locate accurately
what part of the brain a thought was processed. This is the functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, which uses echoes created by radio waves to
pinpoint the location of brain signals, which then gives 3D images of the inside of
the brain.
Mind Reading
“Can we tap into the thoughts of others?… I don’t think that’s pure science fiction, but it would create a hell of a world. Imagine courting a mate if your thoughts could be read, or negotiating a contract if your thoughts could be read.” Said by the Nobel Prize Recipient
David Baltimore
what is considered as the most advanced robot that can do humanlike movements
Honda’s ASIMO
“To this day, AI programs exhibit no shred of common sense—a medical diagnosis program, for instance, may prescribe an antibiotic when presented with a broken bicycle because it lacks a model of people, disease, or bicycles.” was stated by who (a former director of the AI laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University)?
Dr. Hans Moravee
Who pointed out that the verification theory is prone to biased interpretation of evidences
Thomas Kuhn
if an idea or ideology cannot be proven false, and that idea can best explain a phenomenon better than other theories, then that idea is acceptable.
Falsification Theory
