yhwx said:
Could someone explain to me the problem with this tweet? Apparently people on Twitter are angry about it.
https://twitter.com/CBSThisMorning/status/884401683656306688
“Science is the belief you can solve the problem.” --@BillNye #MondayMotivation
Mostly it’s a weird definition. Science is a methodology for learning about things. Problem-solving may use science, but it’s much more subjective.
i.e. Global warming. Science just says such-and-such species will likely go extinct, such-and-such areas will likely dry up and be uninhabitable for humans, and so on. It could even say (although it doesn’t) that humans will likely go extinct, or that the Earth will become a barren space rock. But science does not say that any of this would be a problem. Saying that any of this is a problem is a value judgment–ethical, moral, human. But it’s not science. Actually solving problems is a tricky mix of science, engineering and other human factors like ethics, economics, logistics, and law.
Science just helps us learn stuff so that we can identify things we consider to be problems. It doesn’t identify problems. Science helps us learn stuff so that we can solve problems, but it’s far from the only factor in problem-solving.
I’d say it would be more accurate to day “Science is the method that allows us to know things.”, but that doesn’t rate very high on the motivational poster scale. “Belief” was probably the thing that set the most people off, though. It’s not a belief, it’s a method. And the method works whether you believe in it or not, although you do still need to do it right.