Texto 4

HOW MUCH CAN WE KNOW?

The reach of the scientific method is constrained by the limitations of our tools and the intrinsic impenetrability of some of nature's deepest questions.

“What we observe is not nature in itself but nature exposed to our method of questioning,” wrote German physicist Werner Heisenberg, who was the first to fathom the uncertainty inherent in quantum physics. To those who think of science as a direct path to the truth about the world, this quote must be surprising, perhaps even upsetting.

People will quickly counterstrike with something like: Why do airplanes fly or antibiotics work? Why are we able to build machines that process information with such amazing efficiency? Surely, such inventions and so many others are based on laws of nature that function independently of us. There is order in the universe, and science gradually uncovers this order.

No question about it: There is order in the universe, and much of science is about finding patterns of behavior—from quarks to mammals to galaxies—that we translate into general laws. We strip away unnecessary complications and focus on what is essential, the core properties of the system we are studying. We then build a descriptive narrative of how the system behaves, which, in the best cases, is also predictive.

Often overlooked in the excitement of research is that the methodology of science requires interaction with the system we are studying. We observe its behavior, measure its properties, and build mathematical or conceptual models to understand it better. We can see only so far into the nature of things, and our ever shifting scientific worldview reflects this fundamental limitation on how we perceive reality.

Just think of biology before and after the microscope or gene sequencing, or of astronomy before and after the telescope, or of particle physics before and after colliders or fast electronics. Now, as in the 17th century, the theories we build and the worldviews we construct change as our tools of exploration transform. This trend is the trademark of science.

Sometimes people take this statement about the limitation of scientific knowledge as being defeatist: “If we can’t get to the bottom of things, why bother?” This kind of response is misplaced. There is nothing defeatist in understanding the limitations of the scientific approach to knowledge. Science remains our best methodology to build consensus about the workings of nature. What should change is a sense of scientific triumphalism—the belief that no question is beyond the reach of scientific discourse.

[...]

Adaptado de GLEISER, Marcelo. How Much Can We Know? Nature, International Journal of Science. Disponível em: <https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05100-5>. Acesso em: 14/08/2019.

Texto 3

CHAPTER 2

SCIENCE AND HOPE

[...]

I was a child in a time of hope. I wanted to be a scientist from my earliest school days. The crystallizing moment came when I first caught on that the stars are mighty suns, when it first dawned on me how staggeringly far away they must be to appear as mere points of light in the sky. I'm not sure I even knew the meaning of the word 'science' then, but I wanted somehow to immerse myself in all that grandeur. I was gripped by the splendour of the Universe, transfixed by the prospect of understanding how things really work, of helping to uncover deep mysteries, of exploring new worlds - maybe even literally. It has been my good fortune to have had that dream in part fulfilled. For me, the romance of science remains as appealing and new as it was on that day, more than half a century ago, when I was shown the wonders of the 1939 World's Fair.

Popularizing science - trying to make its methods and findings accessible to non-scientists - then follows naturally and immediately. Not explaining science seems to me perverse. When you're in love, you want to tell the world. This book is a personal statement, reflecting my lifelong love affair with science.

But there's another reason: science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking.

[...]

Adaptado de SAGAN, Carl. The Demon-Haunted World. Science as a Candle in the Dark. Headline Book Publishing, 1997. Disponível em: <http://www.metaphysicspirit.com/books/The%20Demon-Haunted%20World.pdf>. Acesso em: 22/07/2019.

Texto 3

CHAPTER 2

SCIENCE AND HOPE

[...]

I was a child in a time of hope. I wanted to be a scientist from my earliest school days. The crystallizing moment came when I first caught on that the stars are mighty suns, when it first dawned on me how staggeringly far away they must be to appear as mere points of light in the sky. I'm not sure I even knew the meaning of the word 'science' then, but I wanted somehow to immerse myself in all that grandeur. I was gripped by the splendour of the Universe, transfixed by the prospect of understanding how things really work, of helping to uncover deep mysteries, of exploring new worlds - maybe even literally. It has been my good fortune to have had that dream in part fulfilled. For me, the romance of science remains as appealing and new as it was on that day, more than half a century ago, when I was shown the wonders of the 1939 World's Fair.

Popularizing science - trying to make its methods and findings accessible to non-scientists - then follows naturally and immediately. Not explaining science seems to me perverse. When you're in love, you want to tell the world. This book is a personal statement, reflecting my lifelong love affair with science.

But there's another reason: science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking.

[...]

Adaptado de SAGAN, Carl. The Demon-Haunted World. Science as a Candle in the Dark. Headline Book Publishing, 1997. Disponível em: <http://www.metaphysicspirit.com/books/The%20Demon-Haunted%20World.pdf>. Acesso em: 22/07/2019.

Texto 3

CHAPTER 2

SCIENCE AND HOPE

[...]

I was a child in a time of hope. I wanted to be a scientist from my earliest school days. The crystallizing moment came when I first caught on that the stars are mighty suns, when it first dawned on me how staggeringly far away they must be to appear as mere points of light in the sky. I'm not sure I even knew the meaning of the word 'science' then, but I wanted somehow to immerse myself in all that grandeur. I was gripped by the splendour of the Universe, transfixed by the prospect of understanding how things really work, of helping to uncover deep mysteries, of exploring new worlds - maybe even literally. It has been my good fortune to have had that dream in part fulfilled. For me, the romance of science remains as appealing and new as it was on that day, more than half a century ago, when I was shown the wonders of the 1939 World's Fair.

Popularizing science - trying to make its methods and findings accessible to non-scientists - then follows naturally and immediately. Not explaining science seems to me perverse. When you're in love, you want to tell the world. This book is a personal statement, reflecting my lifelong love affair with science.

But there's another reason: science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking.

[...]

Adaptado de SAGAN, Carl. The Demon-Haunted World. Science as a Candle in the Dark. Headline Book Publishing, 1997. Disponível em: <http://www.metaphysicspirit.com/books/The%20Demon-Haunted%20World.pdf>. Acesso em: 22/07/2019.

Texto 2

HALF A CENTURY AGO, THE MOON LANDING SHOWED US THE FRAGILITY OF OUR

PLANET, AND THAT NOTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

Dr Dame SUE ION, DBE FREng FRS

Chair of the UK Nuclear Innovation Research Advisory Board and chair of the judging panel for the MacRobert Award for engineering innovation.

“Fifty years ago, the Apollo 11 space mission took its place in global history.

I remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was an amazing achievement, enabled by a brilliant team of engineers, scientists and technicians at Nasa. I was still at school, and we were utterly awed by the engineering and ingenuity that made it happen. [...]

Today, half a century later, it’s important to remember how crucial the inspiration of that one small step was to a new generation of engineers around the world – it would underpin so many of the innovations we take for granted today.

Here in the UK, a “new Britain” was being forged in the “white heat” of technology. The MacRobert Award for Engineering Innovation was presented for the first time in 1969. Established by the MacRobert Trust, the medal features a man leaping for the moon to commemorate the lunar landing, and the £50,000 prize recognises those that meet three key criteria – commercial success, societal benefit, and true innovation.

In a year that saw Americans on the moon, the judges had a tough decision as to who should win that first award for British innovation.. They announced joint winners: a team from Freeman, Fox and Partners for the aerodynamic deck design of the Severn Bridge – later used for long-span bridges all over the world – and a team from Rolls-Royce for the Pegasus engine that powered the Harrier, the world’s first vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

Since 1969, the global influence of winning British innovations has been maintained, with a host of world firsts, including the CT scanner in 1972, the first bionic hand in 2008 and Raspberry Pi, the world’s most affordable computer, in 2017.”

[…]

Adaptado de The Indepedent. Disponível em: <https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/apollo-11-moon-landinganniversary- macrobert-award-british-innovation-a9012426.html>. Acesso em: 14/08/2019.

Texto 2

HALF A CENTURY AGO, THE MOON LANDING SHOWED US THE FRAGILITY OF OUR

PLANET, AND THAT NOTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

Dr Dame SUE ION, DBE FREng FRS

Chair of the UK Nuclear Innovation Research Advisory Board and chair of the judging panel for the MacRobert Award for engineering innovation.

“Fifty years ago, the Apollo 11 space mission took its place in global history.

I remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was an amazing achievement, enabled by a brilliant team of engineers, scientists and technicians at Nasa. I was still at school, and we were utterly awed by the engineering and ingenuity that made it happen. [...]

Today, half a century later, it’s important to remember how crucial the inspiration of that one small step was to a new generation of engineers around the world – it would underpin so many of the innovations we take for granted today.

Here in the UK, a “new Britain” was being forged in the “white heat” of technology. The MacRobert Award for Engineering Innovation was presented for the first time in 1969. Established by the MacRobert Trust, the medal features a man leaping for the moon to commemorate the lunar landing, and the £50,000 prize recognises those that meet three key criteria – commercial success, societal benefit, and true innovation.

In a year that saw Americans on the moon, . They announced joint winners: a team from Freeman, Fox and Partners for the aerodynamic deck design of the Severn Bridge – later used for long-span bridges all over the world – and a team from Rolls-Royce for the Pegasus engine that powered the Harrier, the world’s first vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

Since 1969, the global influence of winning British innovations has been maintained, with a host of world firsts, including the CT scanner in 1972, the first bionic hand in 2008 and Raspberry Pi, the world’s most affordable computer, in 2017.”

[…]

Adaptado de The Indepedent. Disponível em: <https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/apollo-11-moon-landinganniversary- macrobert-award-british-innovation-a9012426.html>. Acesso em: 14/08/2019.

Texto 2

HALF A CENTURY AGO, THE MOON LANDING SHOWED US THE FRAGILITY OF OUR

PLANET, AND THAT NOTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

Dr Dame SUE ION, DBE FREng FRS

Chair of the UK Nuclear Innovation Research Advisory Board and chair of the judging panel for the MacRobert Award for engineering innovation.

“Fifty years ago, the Apollo 11 space mission took its place in global history.

I remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was an amazing achievement, enabled by a brilliant team of engineers, scientists and technicians at Nasa. I was still at school, and we were utterly awed by the engineering and ingenuity that made it happen. [...]

Today, half a century later, it’s important to remember how crucial the inspiration of that one small step was to a new generation of engineers around the world – it would underpin so many of the innovations we take for granted today.

Here in the UK, a “new Britain” was being forged in the “white heat” of technology. The MacRobert Award for Engineering Innovation was presented for the first time in 1969. Established by the MacRobert Trust, the medal features a man leaping for the moon to commemorate the lunar landing, and the £50,000 prize recognises those that meet three key criteria – commercial success, societal benefit, and true innovation.

In a year that saw Americans on the moon, the judges had a tough decision as to who should win that first award for British innovation. They announced joint winners: a team from Freeman, Fox and Partners for the aerodynamic deck design of the Severn Bridge – later used for long-span bridges all over the world – and a team from Rolls-Royce for the Pegasus engine that powered the Harrier, the world’s first vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

Since 1969, the global influence of winning British innovations has been maintained, with a host of world firsts, including the CT scanner in 1972, the first bionic hand in 2008 and Raspberry Pi, the world’s most affordable computer, in 2017.”

[…]

Adaptado de The Indepedent. Disponível em: <https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/apollo-11-moon-landinganniversary- macrobert-award-british-innovation-a9012426.html>. Acesso em: 14/08/2019.

Texto 2

HALF A CENTURY AGO, THE MOON LANDING SHOWED US THE FRAGILITY OF OUR

PLANET, AND THAT NOTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

Dr Dame SUE ION, DBE FREng FRS

Chair of the UK Nuclear Innovation Research Advisory Board and chair of the judging panel for the MacRobert Award for engineering innovation.

“Fifty years ago, the Apollo 11 space mission took its place in global history.

I remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was an amazing achievement, enabled by a brilliant team of engineers, scientists and technicians at Nasa. I was still at school, and we were utterly awed by the engineering and ingenuity that made it happen. [...]

Today, half a century later, it’s important to remember how crucial the inspiration of that one small step was to a new generation of engineers around the world – it would underpin so many of the innovations we take for granted today.

Here in the UK, a “new Britain” was being forged in the “white heat” of technology. The MacRobert Award for Engineering Innovation was presented for the first time in 1969. Established by the MacRobert Trust, the medal features a man leaping for the moon to commemorate the lunar landing, and the £50,000 prize recognises those that meet three key criteria – commercial success, societal benefit, and true innovation.

In a year that saw Americans on the moon, the judges had a tough decision as to who should win that first award for British innovation. They announced joint winners: a team from Freeman, Fox and Partners for the aerodynamic deck design of the Severn Bridge – later used for long-span bridges all over the world – and a team from Rolls-Royce for the Pegasus engine that powered the Harrier, the world’s first vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

Since 1969, the global influence of winning British innovations has been maintained, with a host of world firsts, including the CT scanner in 1972, the first bionic hand in 2008 and Raspberry Pi, the world’s most affordable computer, in 2017.”

[…]

Adaptado de The Indepedent. Disponível em: <https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/apollo-11-moon-landinganniversary- macrobert-award-british-innovation-a9012426.html>. Acesso em: 14/08/2019.

Texto 1

ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL

SELECTION, OR THE PRESERVATION OF FAVOURED RACES

IN THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE

CHARLES DARWIN, M.A.

Fellow of the Royal, Geological, Linnæan, etc. societies; Author of Journal of researches during H. M. S. Beagle’s Voyage round the world. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1859.

Introduction

When on board H.M.S. 'Beagle,' as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. These facts seemed to me to throw some light on the origin of species–that mystery of mysteries, as it has been called by one of our greatest philosophers. On my return home, it occurred to me, in 1837, that something might perhaps be made out on this question by patiently accumulating and reflecting on all sorts of facts which could possibly have any bearing on it. After five years' work I allowed myself to speculate on the subject, and drew up some short notes; these I enlarged in 1844 into a sketch of the conclusions, which then seemed to me probable: from that period to the present day I have steadily pursued the same object. I hope that I may be excused for entering on these personal details, as I give them to show that I have not been hasty in coming to a decision.

My work is now nearly finished; but as it will take me two or three more years to complete it, and as my health is far from strong, to publish this Abstract.

[...]

Extraído de DARWIN, Charles Robert. On the Origin of Species. Disponível em: <http://www.vliz.be/docs/Zeecijfers/ Origin_of_Species.pdf>. Acesso em: 02/08/2019.

Texto 1

ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL

SELECTION, OR THE PRESERVATION OF FAVOURED RACES

IN THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE

CHARLES DARWIN, M.A.

Fellow of the Royal, Geological, Linnæan, etc. societies; Author of Journal of researches during H. M. S. Beagle’s Voyage round the world. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1859.

Introduction

When on board H.M.S. 'Beagle,' as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. These facts seemed to me to throw some light on the origin of species–that mystery of mysteries, as it has been called by one of our greatest philosophers. On my return home, it occurred to me, in 1837, that something might perhaps be made out on this question by patiently accumulating and reflecting on all sorts of facts which could possibly have any bearing on it. After five years' work I allowed myself to speculate on the subject, and drew up some short notes; these I enlarged in 1844 into a sketch of the conclusions, which then seemed to me probable: from that period to the present day I have steadily pursued the same object. I hope that I may be excused for entering on these personal details, as I give them to show that I have not been hasty in coming to a decision.

My work is now nearly finished; but it will take me two or three more years to complete it, and as my health is far from strong, I have been urged to publish this Abstract.

[...]

Extraído de DARWIN, Charles Robert. On the Origin of Species. Disponível em: <http://www.vliz.be/docs/Zeecijfers/ Origin_of_Species.pdf>. Acesso em: 02/08/2019.