The promise of science

Science really is the most powerful tool we have to attempt to make sense of the very complex, varied and constantly changing world in which we live. Personally, I have a strong affection for it, since just about the only thing we can say with certitude is that the universe is constantly subject to change and our knowledge of it is very much incomplete – our understandings are constantly improving and old theories are continuously being modified or discarded in favour of new ones. The reason it is so powerful is that it is based on objective observation and experiment, as well as theories that are always subject to change - but the theory must always accommodate the data and not the other way around. Sherlock Holmes, the most famous detective the world has ever seen (who was, apparently, not real), had something to say about this last point: “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” (For those interested, this is from his short story ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’.)

Sherlock Holmes – the greatest detective, that never was. (Drawing by the author.)

Isaac Newton was possibly the greatest scientist of all time, having effectively invented physics as a subject and formulated laws and made discoveries upon which the whole of our modern world depends. Physics is the mother of the sciences and Newton addressed many aspects of physics with a level of insight that could only be described as astonishing. The story of the apple falling onto his head is probably apocryphal but, nevertheless, illustrates just one of his genius insights – that the force that causes the apple to fall is the same one that keeps the planets in their motions, i.e. gravity. Newton did in fact establish many important branches of physics such as mechanics and optics and consequently great progress was made.

His three laws of motion are the basis of the whole of mechanics and govern the operation of machines from your car through to rockets (his gravitational and mechanical laws have been employed to calculate rocket trajectories with sufficient accuracies to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth). Having said all this, what important physics discoveries have been made in the last one hundred years that could enable the invention of a new type of lightweight power source? Ideally, the latter would have a power to weight ratio similar to or better than that of petrol and could be made commonly available to power cars in the future. Such discoveries and developments are rather overdue and are also badly needed if we are to address global warming with any degree of effectiveness. I think many people would agree that recent developments in physics have been rather less dramatic than they were in the past – and this may explain why consequent developments in, for example, machines have been relatively limited (which brings me back to cars hardly having changed in 100 years, my local car dealer trying to sell me a diesel-powered vehicle, and the fact that I can’t catch the Martian rocket). I would say that there are four main factors contributing to this deficiency:

1. Physics (and hard science in general) is a difficult subject in which to make dramatic leaps of understanding, unless you are a genius like Newton or Einstein; the world is highly complex and difficult to understand – there is not much we can do about that.

2. There is a general lack of appreciation of the importance of scientific research and its potential for providing societal benefits. This results in less investment in research, particularly when a short-term return is not clear (even though the long-term benefits may be enormous).

3. I would say that science is becoming increasingly dogmatic; that is to say there is resistance to any challenge, or even modification, of the currently accepted theory and approach to the subject. Rigorous mathematical treatments are also often viewed as more essential or important than relevant scientific arguments.

4. There is a general lack of collaboration between university research departments and companies who are in a position to further develop and market new devices/systems – this is a particular problem in the UK.

Sir Isaac Newton – perhaps the greatest scientist there ever was. (Drawing by the author.)

The first factor has more to do with science than society’s attitude towards science. Life is hard and physics is hard; the Universe does not give up its precious truths easily (or, as Neil deGrasse Tyson put it: “The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.”) The next three factors are important, and it may be possible for society to address them in the future to a greater or lesser extent – therefore each will be considered in some detail.