Ariccia
November 13, 2014
Knowledge, science and society
Giorgio Sirilli
Your motto: “IN ITINERE SAPIENTIA”
The “Owl of
Minerva“ a symbol
of knowledge,
wisdom,
perspicacity and
erudition
Università “La Sapienza”
Definition of knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness or understanding of
someone or something, such as facts, information,
descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through
experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or
learning.
Knowledge can refer to a theoretical or practical
understanding of a subject. It can be implicit (as with
practical skill or expertise) or explicit (as with the
theoretical understanding of a subject); it can be more or
less formal or systematic.
In philosophy, the study of knowledge is called
epistemology.
Definition of science
Science may be defined as "knowledge attained
through study or practice," or "knowledge covering
general truths of the operation of general laws,
especially as obtained and tested through scientific
method and concerned with the physical world."
Science uses observation and experimentation to
describe and explain natural phenomena.
Definition of society
Society: a group of people involved in persistent
interpersonal relationships, or a large social grouping
sharing the same geographical or social territory,
typically subject to the same political authority and
dominant cultural expectations.
Complexity
Leonardo da Vinci
La luce della scienza cerco e 'l beneficio
Scientist versus fortune teller
Scientist
Fortune teller
The most used adjective
“interesting!”
“beautiful!”
The scientific method
Observation
Hypothesis
Experimentation
Conclusion
Newton’s apple
Acceleration
Norms of scientists (Robert Merton)
Communalism All scientists should have equal access
to scientific goods (intellectual property) and there should
be a sense of common ownership in order to promote
collective collaboration, secrecy is the opposite of this norm
Universalism All scientists can contribute to science
regardless of race, nationality, culture, or gender
Disinterestedness according to which scientists are
supposed to act for the benefit of a common scientific
enterprise, rather than for personal gain
Originality requires that scientific claims contribute something
new, whether a new problem, a new approach, new data, a
new theory or a new explanation
Organised Skepticism means that scientific claims must be
exposed to critical scrutiny before being accepted
Giants and dwarfs
Isaac Newton
“We are dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants”
(Meaning: discovering truth by building on previous discoveries)
(Nanos gigantum humeris insidentes)
A long history of science
The two sides of the same coin
Ethical drugs and their side effects
Nuclear energy
The development of occupation
80 %
agriculture
services
33 %
industry
1800
1960
time
A brief history of science and technology:
from patronage to public and private investment
Patronage from rulers
Industrial Revolution
Between the First and the Second World War
rockets, nuclear energy, operations research, DDT
After the Second World War
science and technology policy from governments
Who produces knowledge
Research and development: the organisations
University
Public research
agencies
Business firms
Private non profit
institutions
CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)
CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Fabiola Gianotti
The Italian Constitution
Art. 33
L'arte e la scienza sono libere e libero ne è l'insegnamento.
Le istituzioni di alta cultura, università ed accademie, hanno
il diritto di darsi ordinamenti autonomi nei limiti stabiliti
dalle leggi dello Stato
Transmission of knowledge
Primary school
Secondary school Third level education
Transmission of knowledge
Massimo Recalcati “L’ora di lezione”, Einaudi, 2014
Statements of policy makers in Italy
“Why shoud we pay
researchers if we make the
best shoes in the world?”
Silvio Berlusconi
“Culture does not provide food”
(Con la cultura non si mangia)
Giulio Tremonti