How do scientists think? Is there a special kind of reasoning that allows for advancement in science? Is scientific reasoning only for scientists? This course is about the special joy to be derived from a systematic way of approaching natural and social phenomena in order to understand them. For instance, we will look at common reasoning strategies: exploration, query, logic, data acquisition and analysis, model building, testing and interpretation. But these measurable ways of knowing are often also accompanied by coming to knowledge by chance and ways of thinking that are harder to quantify - ingenious guess, serendipity and use of analogies. We will look at several examples from the sciences, social sciences and humanities where an interesting way to think about a natural or social phenomena led to remarkable achievements. Students will learn to trace and appreciate the evolution of ideas and ways of thinking that have evolved with it.
- Teacher: Zoeya Ahmed
