Editor's Note: Science!!

[Russ Pitts]

Science!!

In this week's issue of The Escapist, we're blinding you with science. And you know we're serious by the number of exclamation points.

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[Xersues]

My favorite articles from the escapist have nothing to do with video games. Weird huh? I love the comics/ science/ and other nerdworldly goodness. Thanks for the time and effort for the articles.

Ms. Admire is my hero. <3

 

[The Big Eye]

Personally, whenever I hear someone saying something like "science will solve this problem!", I assume they're being ironic. But they never are.

I like science (obviously). But I think it's easy to get confused about what science actually is. It's not some lofty philosophical concept; but it doesn't really qualify as a tool, either. Science is simply structured human thought.

"Where would be without science?" is in many ways a meaningless question. A better one would be "what would be without science?"
I can tell you this much: we wouldn't be human. In all likelihood, we'd be extinct, because nature cannot excuse a species that is as physically inadequate as we are but that still does nothing pursuant to survival with its brain. As the caption for this issue so wisely stated, "you can't blow shit up with poetry."

Any scientific concept begins with a thought, expands with other thoughts, and is firmly established with yet more thoughts. Science itself is simply a way of organizing these thoughts so that they are not skewed by one's personal emotions. We shouldn't say "science has brought us this far" any more than we should say "science can't solve this problem."
We have made it this far. We can't solve this problem. (Or can we?)

Very good! Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to add that I'm quite pleased with the choice of topic for this issue. Look forward to reading!

 

[Chasmodius]

Hmm, what mode of address would you prefer: Mr. Pitts? Russ? Editor? Oh-High-Exalted One? Anyway...

Russ, I'm not certain that everything you mention (especially the ancient advances) are strictly considered "science." At least, the contemporary use of the term "science" requires the involvement of the "scientific method" in order to gain knowledge and apply it to practical, everyday things. I don't mean to be a nit-picker, and I understand that your point is to show that all of our modern "conveniences" are the result of this systematic build-up and application of knowledge about our universe, but I think it is also important to make a distinction between the kind of random flailing about for information that ancient philosophers used (which, at best, involved the method of Thinking About It and Deciding What Sounds Best) and the development of the Scientific Method, which is partly what is responsible for the incredible growth of knowledge and technology across the globe.

 

[The Extremist]

I like science (obviously). But I think it's easy to get confused about what science actually is. It's not some lofty philosophical concept; but it doesn't really qualify as a tool, either. Science is simply structured human thought.

An excellent comment/post/entry, sir! I would like to add to it.

I think the confusion is as a result of science and philosophy being linked from the very beginnings of the two fields. One might even consider science the philosophy of the rational observation of the phenomena of the universe (with the ultimate purpose of understanding them, of course).

That said, I think the easiest way to diffentiate between metaphysics (what most of us understand as 'philosophy' when the word is used in isolation) and science is to think of it philosophy/metaphysics as the pondering over the universe and the things in it, and science as the method by which we seek to understand it by measuring and analysing what we can quantify.

 

[oldmanscene24]

We hope you enjoy, and please remember to ask Ms. Sakamoto to stay away from your tubes and wires.

But, good heavens, she's beautiful!

 

[BehattedWanderer]

For Science! Philosophy and theory behind physicality! Human thought, and Human practice! Ahhhh, how exciting! Ooh, look! Swedish Fish!

 

[rddj623]

Sounds like another great issue of the Escapist. This is one of only two forums to which I belong. I am very selective with my online communities and I have never regretted my decision to join, or receive the weekly issues. Keep up the good work!

Also side notes, your reference to the song was brilliant and I first found out about DARPA through Metal Gear Solid. Further proof games can help you learn!

 

[brythain]

None of that's science; it's only technology. Scienc-y science only begins some time after Newton or thereabouts, unnatural spawn of natural philosophy and natural history. But tech is everywhere, everywhen.

 

[carpathic]

I sometimes find it curious that we describe everything as having been touched by science in much the same manner that we describe how everything used to be "touched by god"

 

[Sylocat]

I'm surprised you didn't touch on the "Science Is Bad" stereotype, where every bad thing that happens in a game is caused by the evils of scientific research. Every zombie virus was born in a lab where Evil And/Or Incompetent Scientists were doing evil science-ish stuff, all those genetically engineered mutant super soldiers were caused by the folly of scientists... where is your article about that?

Also, one minor nitpick: Edison did not "discover" anything, he stole just about every invention he ever patented (most of them, ironically, from Tesla). But that's just my personal pet peeve.