Chem. Society

Twenty-three students arrived at the chemistry lecture room at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, to hear Mr. B. E. Swedlund, M.Sc., give his idea of "Scientific Method." "Science," said Mr. Swedlund in solemn tones, "is blamed for all sorts of things from the falling birthrate to the flying bomb."

Maintaining that the popular idea of science had gone wrong, Mr. Swedlund commenced by defining science as "a method of finding cause and effect relations by controlled experiments." The aim of science is to discover truth, and it can be contrasted with other methods such as the religious and philosophical. In seeking truth certain fundamental assumptions incapable of verification are made. These constitute faith. The faith of science is that cause and effect relations exist. These provide the materials of science. Positive science establishes uniformities while normative science determines ideals. Social sciences embrace both these aspects, while physical sciences are usually positive. Positive science is concerned with what is, and not with values. Facts of themselves are of no importance and to be of value they must be translated into action, which is the function of technology. Science must also concern itself with normative aspects such as philosophy and politics. We must have a philosophy to direct, a science to find out and a technology to use.

Cause and effect relations are observed by controlled experiments, that is, by fixing all the conditions which determine the system and varying them one at a time. The steps in the experimental method were first stated by Francis Bacon. Experiment is the fundamental material of science. Theories concerning results are important, for without generalizations and theories we could not accumulate knowledge, but they are not final. Since theories rest on experiment there is no absolute proof of theory, since it may always be subsequently disproved by experiment.

Following the address a vigorous discussion ensued, which mainly centered around the differences between science and technology. Covering such diverse subjects as legless tables, the quantum theory and the various systems of algebra, the discussion continued during supper.