Is modern day science progressive, and what makes it so?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the progression of modern science, exploring what factors contribute to this advancement and how it manifests in terms of discoveries and methodological changes. Participants consider both the nature of scientific breakthroughs and the impact of external influences on scientific progress.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that scientific knowledge expands cumulatively, building on previous discoveries made by others, and that this process is infinite.
  • One participant questions whether "new ground" refers to revolutionary discoveries or changes in scientific methodology and how conclusions are drawn.
  • Another participant notes that significant government funding for large-scale experiments has been crucial for scientific progress, while restrictions can hinder innovation.
  • There is mention of upcoming experiments related to unified theories that may lead to significant advancements in the next decade.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on what constitutes "breaking new ground" in science, with no consensus on whether the focus should be on discoveries or methodological changes. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific factors that enhance scientific progression.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully defined terms such as "new ground" or "scientific progression," leading to varied interpretations of the discussion topic.

Kerrie
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how far have we come in recent years in breaking new ground in science? what enhances this progression?
 
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I think that the science started with few facts discovered by thinkers and then it expanded when others used those facts to discover another facts and it is still expanding and will be expanding for ever because knowledge is infinite, the science that we know is nothing compared to the science exists, this world is marvelous.

I don't believe that anyone here is capable of learning what thousands of scientists and researchers have contributed over more than thousands of years because our brain is limited, scientists give their view of things which we call theories and information and another scientist uses other scientists views of things to look in a wider vision of things and give wider and better views of things . Scientists do integrate other scientists.
 
We break new ground in science all the time. Do you mean an absolute revelation like the nature of DNA, or GR was?

From what I've heard, experiments to test unified theory-type ideas are going to be up and running in the next five years, so maybe in the next decade
 
Government funding for great big experiements or programs like Tevatron, LHC, The Human Genome project, and so on have been important determinatives for scientific progress. Government restirictions, like bans on stem cell research are some of the important drags on innovation.
 
Are you asking whether you new ground is broken in the sense that new discoveries are made and theories of a somewhat revolutionary nature formulated, or do you mean new ground broken in the sense that science itself is altered methodologically, that is, the work that scientists do changes as conceptions of how conclusions can be drawn change?
 

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