Is Science Nearing Its Limits ? Summarizing Dialogue
Abstract
In 2007 an international conference engaged a reflection on the present conditions for sciences and scientific practice, to initiate a dialogue between science, philosophy, epistemology and sociology. Starting from many examples taken from the history of sciences and the present status of astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics, I analyze various issues such as the possible limits of theoretical and technological advances, the paradox of non-verifiability in string theory, incompleteness, the role of imagination in scientific research along with educational aspects, the epistemological value of the Ockham's razor principle for constraining theories, and our undersanding of man's place in Creation.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0804.1504,
title = {Is Science Nearing Its Limits ? Summarizing Dialogue},
author = {J. -P. Luminet},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0804.1504},
year = {2008}
}
Comments
12 pages, pdf only. Adapted from invited talk at conference "Is Science Nearing its limits", Lisbon october 2007, Proceedings to be published