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Science is a method
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Mar 26, 2015
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Science is really a method, or a way to do things, instead of being a thing. I find it odd when people say they're "interested in science" or "studying science." Which science? Biological science? Chemical science? Physical science? Science is the method that's proven successful at figuring stuff out about the natural world. There might've been a better way before science came around, and there might be an even better method in the future. But for now, it's what works. And the cool thing is that it can work for anyone. It helps if you're careful and thorough, but the same science used by Person A in Place M at Time X can be used by Person B in Place N at Time Y. It doesn't require secret knowledge, or large sums of money, or powerful authority. It's the everyman method of learning things.
Most people approach situations somewhat scientifically, I would argue, by default. In problem solving, people often employ the trial-and-error approach, which is really just a subset of the scientific method. The things that are "tried" are usually based on some educated guess for what will hopefully actually work. The result is either a failure or a success, leading to an unstated conclusion about the result of the experiment. Anybody can do that. That's science. #science
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Laconism
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Mar 26, 2015
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I didn't realize I was a fan of laconism: A laconic phrase or laconism is a concise or terse statement, especially a blunt and elliptical reply.
It is named after Laconia, the region of Greece including the city of Sparta, whose inhabitants had a reputation for verbal austerity and were famous for their blunt and often pithy remarks. NFL coach Bill Belichick's take on a recent rule change is along the same lines: "Whatever the rule is, it is." But that might instead be a tautology, or a truism, or a platitude. They're all sort of related. #language
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