Horgan Seminar Blog

Theory of Vanity by Ashton Hummler Out of all the scientific discoveries, theories, and inventions that have changed the world for the better, string theory takes the cake as the apex of vanity. There have been brilliant minds consumed with vanity next to some of the greatest discoveries known to man. Thomas Edison is known to have stolen many brilliant ideas for himself. Steve Jobs was notoriously extremely ruthless and manipulative when it came to his business decisions to turn a profit. Watson and Crick may have never discovered the double helix if it weren’t for Rosalind Franklin. Her discoveries and data were crucial, but since she was in opposition with Watson and Crick, (and possibly due to her being a woman) she wasn’t given proper credit until after her death. Vanity and science are no strangers to each other, and when it comes to an unfalsifiable, untestable, and undemonstrated theory of absolute universal truth, there is nothing more vain than pursuing it.  I listene...

  Aidan Minnihan Professor John Horgan Physics, Discovery, and Fuel for Nihilism Throughout human history, it has been in our nature to ponder the secrets of the universe. Usually, this takes the form of various religions, the choice to believe in higher powers that are behind the creation and governing of the universe that we reside in. Nearly every civilization had their own beliefs with regards to this concept, and many are still present to this day. This essay is not to claim any one religion to be more correct than any other; rather, it is to discuss the decline in such beliefs as a result of our species’ discoveries of the true nature of the universe. This is far from something bad; in fact, it’s difficult to deny that the acquisition of knowledge, and as such, undeniable truth, is entirely beneficial to humanity. The point of this essay is simply to convey a feeling that has lodged itself deep within the pit of my soul - an ironic choice of words, given what I am about to ...

Trying to uncover objective truths in our modern world is like trying to find compromise in congress- due to financing, basically impossible. When there is the chance for financial gain on the table, in either congress or science, methods for reaching the payment are never by the book exactly. Members of Congress will keep the cooperations who donated to their campaigns in mind when they decide whether to sign off on proposed bills. Why would a republican who is getting half a million from the NRA every two years agree to pass a bill regulating gun usage? He would not. Similar to how scientists keep the group financing their experiment in mind when deciding how to frame their question. This is the most essential part of science, what question is being asked, and the questions scientists are looking to answer that stunt their ability to generate 'productive' or 'disruptive' discoveries. This is true for two reasons. The first reason is in our current capitalist society, ...

Armen Berenson Professor Horgan HST-401 Science Writing 24 January 2023 Bad Science and its Nuances Bad apples in the workplace: the uninterested and pill-pushing physician, the construction worker who cuts corners towards the end of the day, and the chef who serves frozen lobster but prices them like they’re fresh. Hey, these aren’t crimes punishable by death or imprisonment, but they are reckless and sometimes unethical ways to conduct one’s career, and it seems fair to assume that everyone is prone to cutting corners at some point in their life. A prime example of this disheartening facet of the human condition lies within the ever-broadening body of scientific work humanity continues to amass. Yes, even the seemingly cold, cut, and dry pursuit of scientific discovery can be, and often is, manipulated by an insincere or simply unaware researcher, and it might be killing science’s credibility altogether. This practice probably isn't always as sinister as I’m making it sound. I ha...

It’s terribly easy to forget how easy scientific advancements have made our lives. Right now I am sitting in a comfortably heated room, sheltered from today’s rain, while outlining this piece on a machine whose processing power far surpasses anything used to put a man on the moon, and yet I am able to stuff it into my bag as I rush out the door to class each morning. But, recent predictions regarding the scientific community and its progress have compelled me to think, what’s the point? We learn so much about science’s rapid progress in the past, but what’s happening now? Is it slowing down? And if it is, can an argument be made that science, as we know it, is reaching its end? Nature has recently published findings that have determined that as the 21st century progresses, scientific findings are slowly becoming less and less disruptive. In other words, recent advancements in science, more specifically those within the last six decades are less likely to “ break with the past in wa...

  Richael Lamendola  Professor Horgan  HST 401 25 January 2023 COVID-19’s Collapse of Science In the mind of the public, scientific evidence often is used near synonymously with objectivity, rationality, and truth. Highly-educated experts conduct years of research in search of answers to incredibly difficult questions. Because of this, there is an air of authority that, in the past, has been afforded to any field of scientific research. How then, in the wake of a deadly, viral pandemic, are there large swaths of people acting in direct contradiction - and at times open opposition - to the recommendations of leading experts? During a global pandemic, most would think that science would be the nation’s number one priority in an attempt to keep our country safe and healthy. However, the reality of COVID-19 has proved quite the opposite as a significant number of American adults are losing faith in science. In a study conducted by Pew Research Center, it was reported that in ...

Is science a waste of time, resources and money? This is the current question of many scientific writers and people looking towards the science field for revolutionary discoveries. Articles like Science is Getting Less Bang for its Buck by Patrick Collison and Michael Nielsen describe that modern science could be seen as less efficient than in the 1910’s to 1930’s purely based on the magnitude of discoveries. Collison and Nielsen argue that modern science has produced less revolutionary discoveries in physics based on the number of Nobel Peace prizes that have been awarded on modern discoveries when compared to the 1910’s to 1930’s. It was even said that some of the modern discoveries in physics like the discovery of gravitational waves are miniscule to the discoveries of the past like Einstein’s 1915 discovery of his general theory of relativity. They continue by stating that “Not only did general relativity predict gravitational waves, it also radically changed our understanding of ...