Study Question #1

Please write your definition of science.


In addition, do you think science must be for the greater good or can science be just about the pursuit of knowledge? Also think about this in the context of ethics and our discussions.


Explain your position and/or agree or disagree with a previous post. Please write at least one paragraph.

34 thoughts on “Study Question #1”

  1. I believe in my own terms science is the study of the world and everything around us including ourselves. Since it is so vast we need to divide them into topics like psychology, biology, chemistry , physics, and more. These are just a few to name but it shows how science can’t be defined by a few sentences. There many parts to it and that’s what makes it interesting. We can study our body and that’s one part, or our whole earth and solar system, and even how things move and what makes them move and all the other good stuff. Once again a science in my own terms is the study of everything around and in us whether it is living or not!

    1. Hello Samiul, I agree with you. Science has so many parts to it, hence, there is so many fields in science, and even then there are so many things that we do not know or understand as of yet. There are so many things in this world to study, its amazing!!!

  2. Science is the outcome of using the scientific method to find results. It is the pattern of cause and effect. From my perspective, science is for knowledge purposes. The knowledge that is gained from science and its methods can then be used for the greater good if applicable. Furthermore, science is based around ethics as well. In order to gain accurate results, an experiment as a whole must be ethically performed. If an experiment is done ethically, the knowledge derived from it will be sufficient and scientific which then can be transformed into ideas for the greater good.

    1. Hi Jayanti,

      My thoughts were very similar to yours. I agree with you that the knowledge gained from science can be used for the greater good. I also agree with you that by conducting an experiment ethically the results will have an impact on the greater good.

    2. Hi Jayanti,
      I agree with your thoughts, I also think science is based on facts and observation using the scientific methods to find the results. I strongly believe that in order for an experiment to be done correctly it has to be done ethically. It is important that we consider ethics in research since it is our way of deciding a course of action.

    3. Jayanti,

      I agree that the purpose of scientific experiments is to gain knowledge. I firmly believe that any experiment should be conducted with the intention of using that knowledge for the greater good. An experiment should not be pursued if it is ethically questionable.

    4. Hello Jayanti,

      I completely agree with you. I liked how you stated that “…knowledge that is gained from science and its methods can then be used for the greater good if applicable.” Science can definitely be for the greater good if it is used and attained properly by practicing ethical behavior.

      1. I define science as the study of the natural world by observing and experimenting which then leads to a conclusion about a subject in particular. Science is such a general term since there is so much that branches out from it for example physics, chemistry, sociology, and psychology are amongst the many branches. All four of these examples use what we know as the scientific method which includes: creating a hypothesis, experimenting and using research in order to prove or disprove your hypothesis. I strongly believe that science is a necessity in all living and nonliving, whether it’s studying erosion in the earth surface or studying the science behind human behavior. With that being said, it leads me to believe that science is both for the greater good and the pursuit of knowledge. Without science, we would not be able to study and explain the different phenomenon that occurs in our own lives and also around us. Science is at its best when it is done in an ethical manner; if it is not done like so then that defeats the integrity of it all.

    5. Hi Jayanti,

      I agree with that science is for knowledge purposes. I also believe that whenever scientists spend so much time working on research, they are trying to do so for the greater good of humanity as a whole rather than just for personal knowledge.

    6. Hi Jayanti,

      I agree with your overall definition but what I thought really resonated with my idea of science was your statement about performing ethical experiments in order to achieve larger scientific finds. Experiments, be it any kind of science plays an extremely important role in testing the variations in which we can obtain results that benefit not just human life but our surroundings and beyond.

  3. Hi everyone!

    My definition of science would be anything that happens in nature, and what we learn from it.
    I think that we need the knowledge of science in order for science to be for the greater good. Without learning, it would be difficult for for changes that can impact people and nature positively, or to avoid negative changes.
    Comparing this to our discussion about ethics i think this highlights the importance of learning the safe, and informative ways to conduct research to then be able to use the research in ways that can help others.

    1. Kaitlyn,

      I agree with your definition of science since it is true that anything and everything that happens everyday can be analyzed via the scientific method to acquire knowledge. I do however, believe that science must only be for the greater good due to the fact that if we just conducted experiments for the pursuit of knowledge people could easily horde the information for their own malicious intentions / benefit and they might also endanger the lives of others in their pursuit of this knowledge.

  4. I believe that science is the understanding of everything around us in logical and numerical terms. Being able to answer the questions “why” and “how” for certain phenomena that we observe in the world around us.

    In regards to science as having to be for the ‘greater good’ as opposed to just the pursuit of knowledge I believe that scientific discoveries and inquiries began as the pursuit of knowledge and then slowly evolved into having to be for the greater good once people abused others in their pursuit for knowledge (i.e. nazi scientists).

    1. Fernando,

      I agree with your idea that scientific discoveries and inquires began as the pursuit of knowledge, however, I think that scientific research “for the greater good” can still be heinous in nature. Researchers can state that their research is being conducted “for the greater good” as an excuse to conduct some very unethical experiments.

  5. I believe that science is the study of the social, physical, and natural world that is based on observation, research, and experimentation. In my opinion I think that scientific research is both for the greater good as well as the pursuit of knowledge. Most of what we know today (from space to a child’s attachment style to its parent) was done through research and experimentation because of genuine curiosity. Of course, some research that has been conducted in the past is unethical today, but having the results from those studies serves the public information that they would not have had otherwise. If scientific discoveries were purely for the greater good, I feel that people would do some heinous research and justify it by saying “doing this will benefit us in the future.”

  6. In my opinion, science is knowledge/ideas about our natural world through the scientific methods of observation, experimental investigation, testing and modification of hypothesis. I believe using the scientific methods we can come up with theories and interpretation as to what our beliefs are after testing out our hypothesis. It is very important in my opinion to use ethics in research since it is our way of deciding a course of action. I think it is necessary for researchers to always ethically perform experiments because the results will be more efficient and more reliable I believe.

  7. I believe that science is the study of particular aspects of the world. I think that knowledge is power and I don’t see the harm in studying science with the intention of only learning, in and of itself because it’s good to question the world around you and to want to find answers to them. On the other hand, it’s also possible that people might use the knowledge they have to do harm. Therefore, I do feel that science and the knowledge gained from science should ultimately be applied to better the world. If no one used what they learned from science–in a positive way–how would there be progress?

  8. Though difficult to define, I believe “science” involves the discovery of new concepts and phenomena which help us understand and make sense of many aspects of our lives. It serves the purpose of seeking logical answers to the natural instances we experience every day. More importantly, science gives us the opportunity to gain knowledge; the experiments carried out by scientists are essential in making new findings. In order to make advancements in science however, researchers and experimenters must, inevitably, approach pros and cons during their project. In my opinion, an experiment only proves itself worthy when the pros outweigh the cons. It is important to pursue the expansion of knowledge without exposing human subjects to physical or emotional harm. In the event that an experiment results in more cons than pros, I would argue that the knowledge gained from this project was not worth the effort; an experiment should not be considered valuable if it was conducted at an unjust cost.

  9. Hello everyone,

    When I think of science, I think of a tool that promotes the human understanding of the world and its different components through investigation, thinking, and experimentation. Should science be used for the greater good or for the acquisition of knowledge? Well, I believe that the adequate use of science lies on both. Science is of no good if it’s not practiced with the general betterment of life as its central goal. However, through science, the acquisition of knowledge is both inevitable and indispensable, for the knowledge gained from experimentation and research serves to educate and to facilitate future development. But, the pursuit of knowledge nor the greater good should never overshadow the regulations of how to conduct research ethically. The violation of ethics when conducting research not only defame the research and the researchers but science itself.

  10. In my opinion, science is a breakdown of material that we already know onto a smaller scale to help us decipher the use and purpose of individual pieces of matter. Gaining that knowledge of how everything fits together is what helps science advance by using the “basic” structure to create a more advanced version of the same thing. Science can obviously be used just for general knowledge and to help one person gain a better understanding of why things are the way they are or why something works the way it does. On the other hand, in my opinion, science should be used for the greater good by people coming up with new discoveries using the knowledge they already had as basis. However, it is easy to do more harm than good when trying to find the greater good so ethics should be kept in mind to make sure that no one is being hurt in the process. Science is about enhancing life, not destroying it.

  11. I think of science as a disciplined way of observing the world around us. By disciplined I mean a person should observe with the intent to gain knowledge and not just looking at something. We can do so by holding experiments, recording data, and the like. Of course, there are times in which learning something requires us to breach morals. At these times, I think that we should reach a compromise between what we can trespass and what is strictly a “no-go” zone, all the while being able to learn from it. It is still possible to gain knowledge by providing an area where the participants won’t necessarily have to suffer from long term harm, such as those from the Stanford Prison Experiment. Besides, it wouldn’t sit well with many people if they came to learn what the researchers had to do in order to acquire this information.

  12. My general definition of science is the study of natural phenomenon through observation and experimentation. Observation can either be qualitative or quantitative (depending on whether the observation can be quantified) but both must be objective. Science is meant to break down phenomenon into its basic components so that we may better understand how and why a phenomenon occurs along with what causes the phenomenon. The goal of science is to explain everything beyond doubt. Meaning that the phenomenon can be backed up with irrefutable evidence. I’m wary of saying that it must be widely accepted because evidence must be questioned extensively to ensure that it’s irrefutable. With the innovation of technology we are able to better question the validity of evidence. Science is always evolving with our ability to study natural phenomenon.

    1. I think science can be for both the greater good and for the pursuit of knowledge. However, science for the greater good cannot be justification for pursuing knowledge in ways that cause excessive harm. What constitutes as excessive harm is difficult to define because it brings up questions about whether short term harm is acceptable or whether or not it’s only applicable to specific subjects (human vs. animal).
      (Sorry, forgot to add this on)

  13. Science is the process of knowledge and discovery of the natural world around us. Science is done through experiments, trial and error, and observations. There are three main branches of science: physical sciences, earth sciences, and life sciences. These main branches stem out further to sub-branches. Science is endless and it is all around us. Whether it be boiling water in the kitchen or going for a walk outside. Without science, we will not be able to understand our own bodies, minds, and our surroundings. I believe that science is for the greater good and can also just be about the pursuit of knowledge. When scientists find cures for diseases or discover a new species and share that knowledge with us, they are contributing to the greater good. However, when they withhold this information from us, that is when it doesn’t contribute to anything at all, but their own selfishness. Throughout history, there has been important events where scientists have either withheld information or used it with the wrong intentions. Aside from these incidents being tragic to many, it has helped us to know what is ethical and what isn’t. Overall, science contributes to the greater good and it will always be essential to our lives.

  14. My definition of science is simply the study of anything and everything. I think ethics is separate from science because it is a standard set by people in order to keep order. If a scientist conducts an experiment that is deemed as unethical, such as the Milgram experiment, does it invalidate his findings? It doesn’t, however it does reveals something very important about human nature. Although I believe that everything should be done ethically, I also think there limitations with the standards we set. Science can be white, black, and gray.

    1. Hello Andrew,
      I agree with you in the sense that something unethical does not invalidate the research found from it, and yes research should be done ethically. There are limitations from the standards we set, but humans are limited, in thinking, knowledge, and even our eyesight is limited. Science, however is infinite. In my own opinion, science is the study of everything that can be observed. I believe that science can be both for the greater good and the pursuit of knowledge. It can be used to cure diseases, save lives, and much more but this comes with the negatives as well. Scientists have gotten really far with their research but in order to do so many have hurt and negatively impacted humans to get to where they are now. Personally, I do not think the means justify the outcome, torturing people in the name of research is unethical, and yes back in those days, researchers did not have any guidelines to limit them from harming anyone or causing stress, but I think it is blatantly obvious when someone is being hurt.

    2. Hi Andrew,

      I found your point about ethics to be quite interesting especially since the majority of our class agreed with the concept that science must be deemed ethical in order for it to be valid. I like how you used that example of Milgrim’s experiment as well because although experiments based around ethics are considered to be righteous, the results of any experiment can still be important. It definitely shows another side of the experiment itself that can only be done if not within the guidelines of ethics.

  15. I believe that the art of science is a phenomena used to elucidate what we know little about. It can also be used to further clarify why some natural as well as unnatural events occur as they do. Without science society would be living under ignorance and superstition making progress virtually non existent for long periods of time. There is no use in solely using science for the pursuit of knowledge if it isn’t going to benefit society as a whole. Ethics should always be taken into consideration when conducting research to minimize harm on participants.

  16. I believe that the definition of Science is the study of the physical and natural word through practical and intelligent systems. The study of science is proven through observation and experimentation. I think that science is beneficial in knowledge and for the greater good. The pursuit of knowledge allows the world to think of ideas that help the greater good. I believe that one fuels the other and allows for those with ambition to keep the study of science alive. On the subject of ethics, I believe that the history of science has made major moral errors. However in the present and in the future, I believe that science will be able to find various new ways to conduct experiments and gain knowledge without harming the environment or any individual that exists in it.
    Taili Gasso.

  17. In my opinion, science is the belief that there is a logical and objective explanation for everything that happens around us through the scientific method. We use science to both understand how the world works, as well as progressing ourselves as a society. The scientific method can be summed up as observing a phenomenon, creating an experiment in hopes to answer a question you have on that phenomenon, and recording the results you see. Researchers come to a conclusion from their results that will either support or reject their question(s). I believe that science, in general, is for the greater good despite the fact that some experiments do not seem like it. Science is a way for humans to learn more.

  18. I believe science is a systematic practice humans have used for centuries that allows us to acquire and re apply information about the physical and social world. I believe the goal of science should be to ethically acquire as much knowledge as we can about this world both good and bad. However, all that information should then only be used for the greater good of the human race. By doing as much exploration as possible and pushing the boundaries of what is ethical we can discover a lot of the information required to better ourselves as a species; but with that powerful information comes the ability to be destructive. So we must maintain a morally structured mindset on our scientific quest for the greater good

  19. I found an article in the New York Times time called “Shooting in the Dark” That describes an experiment in which researchers studying the effects of violent video games on behavior. Researchers Hypothesized That violent video games would cause aggressive behavior. The method used in this study was a comparative test where one set undergrad students were told to play violent video games, and another were given nonviolent games for 15 minutes where the arousal states were measured. After gaming both sets of students were told dole out hot sauce to a fellow student who supposedly did not like spicy food. The key findings from the experiment show that players of violent videogame gave significantly higher portions of hot sauce. I Believe this was a great well conducted experiment because it shows a link between the game and peoples logic and decision making. However, the researcher constantly referred to violent crimes like the columbine shooting for comparison. While I feel the researcher proved these video game provides a slight increase in aggressiveness; they do not prove any link between video games and real world violent crimes.
    Carey, B. (2013, February 11). Shooting in the Dark. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/science/studying-the-effects-of-playing-violent-video-games.html

  20. George,

    I am looking back on the old study questions and came across the article you posted. I just read it and I wanted to thank you for posting it! This has been a very debatable topic within the field of psychology for years now.

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