BigHook2015: Science

September 2-4, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Thanks, everybody, for another great BigHook meeting! -- David I, 15Sept2015

Whereas the enduring theme of BigHook has always been, "The network we want to leave to our grandchildren," there's also an annual theme designed to give our discussions a central tendancy but not to exclude any topic germane to the enduring theme.

This year's theme is "science." For our purposes, science may be thought of as three things, 1) an evidence-based method for understanding the universe, 2) a body of knowledge about the universe, 3) a branch of knowledge, e.g., computer science, cognitive science, forensic science.

Astronomer Carl Sagan observed, "Science is more than a body of knowledge: It’s a way of thinking; a way of skeptically interrogating the universe. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we’re up for grabs."

By analogy to David Clark’s observation about the Internet, scientific knowledge is emergent from rough consensus and difficult to falsify conclusions.

The UK Science Council says:
Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence. It includes:

• Objective observation: Measurement and data
• Evidence
• Experiment and/or observation as benchmarks for testing hypotheses
• Induction: reasoning to establish general rules
• Repetition
• Critical analysis
• Verification and testing: critical exposure to scrutiny, peer review and assessment

Agenda

Wednesday, September 2

Noon to 1:30 PM: Check in, lunch, swimming, meet fellow participants
1:30 to 3:30 PM: Session 1a: Extended Personal Introductions
3:30 to 4:00 PM: Break
4:00 to 5:30 PM, Session 1b: More Intros, intro to "science"
5:30 to 8:00 PM: Dinner
8:00 to 10:00 PM (or so), Session 2: Music, talk by marine biologist Jelle Atema.
10:00 PM Screening of the latest version of "A Good American," by Fritz Moser

Thursday, September 3

7:00 to 8:30 AM: Breakfast
8:30 to 10:00 AM, Session 3a: Discussion
10:00 to 10:30: Break
10:30 AM to Noon, Session 3b: More Discussion
Noon to 2:00 PM: Lunch, swimming
2:00 to 3:30 PM, Session 4a: Yet more discussion
3:30 to 4:00 PM: Break
4:00 to 5:30, Session 4b: More discussion
5:30 to 8:00 PM: Dinner
8:00 to 10:00 PM, Session 5: Music, talk by Arctic ecologist Max Holmes
10:00 PM to Whenever: Whatever