An irrational constraint is the motivating force in modern science | Aeon Essays

Is hard data the only path to scientific truth? That’s an absurd, illogical and profoundly useful fiction

Modern science has a whole lot going for it that Ancient Greek or Chinese science did not: advanced technologies for observation and measurement, fast and efficient communication, and well-funded and dedicated institutions for research. It also has, many thinkers have supposed, a superior (if not always flawlessly implemented) ideology, manifested in a concern for objectivity, openness to criticism, and a preference for regimented techniques for discovery, such as randomised, controlled experimentation. I want to add one more item to that list, the innovation that made modern science truly…

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• Catalina Andrea Saini Ferrón

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