Reflection 1: Umbrellaology

 Define the word “science.” What is it?

    Science, in the simplest form, means knowledge. Whether it be to obtain information, to discover new information, or even to gain insight on a subject, one adds on to existing knowledge or, simply, becomes more knowledgable. 

    For example, the word "geology" can be broken down into two parts: "geo" meaning "earth" or "rock"  and "-logy" comes from the Greek "logia" which means "the study of". When one studies, one gains knowledge or reinforces the knowledge that is already there, at least I would hope.


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Is Umbrellaology a science? If so, why? If not, how does it fall short of

being a science?

Technically speaking, it is a science, but to an extent. It is a science because whoever was conducting the investigation learned deeply about umbrellas, the mechanics of it, its uses and applications, etc. However, the argument and information used were statistical in nature and didn't have a clear hypothesis, or rather, it didn't explain how umbrellas explain the origin or evolution of the physical world, whether it be macro or microscopic, or aid in understanding the world we live in.


According to Britannica.com, science is " any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation." By this definition, what phenomena do umbrellas explain, prove, or disprove? How does it contribute to the world, biologically, chemically, or physically, besides the fact that they help in keeping us dry?


For example, biology explains how things work at a microscopic level in all living beings, chemistry explains how things work at an atomic level, which can explain biology. Physics explains things at the physical level, both macro and microscopically, astronomy is the study of the universe/ cosmos, and in it are branches that explain the origins of the universe and trends that can explain how the universe will further evolve. Umbrellas can keep us dry, shield us. from wind, snow, and possibly other elements. 


How can umbrellas explain biology, astronomy, and chemistry?  So by using this definition, science is what can explain phenomena, umbrellaology is not a definite science. 

Comments

  1. Lenin NolascoFebruary 10, 2021 at 5:49 PM

    Hey Sarah! Great definition of science! It pretty much pairs nicely with mine, where I describe science as a way of understanding everything around us. Knowledge and Understanding go pretty hand in hand.

    As for Umbrellaology, I like that you even brought out textbook definitions to support your argument in trying to pinpoint if it is a science or not. And it's interesting how we both kind of made the same points (that it is technically a science based on the way it was conducted, but that it was more statistically oriented) yet we kind of concluded differently. I see where you're going though! It's basically a question that I'm sure all of us has asked at one point or another about something. "How does it connect to the bigger world?" Umbrellaology might not help explain big questions about our world, but in some way, through all that data gathered, it might help us understand ourselves better, don't you think?

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  2. Marcus DormenaFebruary 16, 2021 at 7:36 PM

    Hey Sarah! Your post and ideas are very interesting. I like how you compared Umbrellaology to other branches of science. It gives the reader something to illustrate your idea of what science is. As defined by you, science has to be based on facts, must be able to explain some aspect of the universe, and be everlasting. These ideas are similar to what I wrote as well. I also really like the amount of examples you've used because it helps to further solidify the points that you made. Excellent job!

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  3. Percy MartinezFebruary 17, 2021 at 7:15 PM

    Hi Sarah,

    Excellent post. Supporting your definition of science with a reliable source like Brittanica....now that's a pro move!

    Your "compare and contrast" portion of Umbrellaology to other established sciences is very clear cut and defined. By your definitions and subsequent arguments, it is clear we agree that this is not a science. However, I am puzzled by your very first sentence, where you state that "It is technically a science", as you proceed to tear down your own statement. I'm glad we agree that it is not, necessarily a science, however I leave you with this from a definition I found after I searched for the etimology of the word:

    "...a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject."

    You know what is definitely a science? The English language. Geesh!

    ReplyDelete

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