ACT OF DISCOVERY
The discovery set
The following makes the fifth instalment of Dr. M Ali Asgar's original article titled "Establishment of an Interactive science discovery centre in Asia-Pacific region."
Experimental discoveries may be of two kinds. There can be observation of creation of new phenomena which are neither suspected or well defined; and there can be experimental discovery which verify or falsify a theory. The discovery of new experimental data of a crucial experiment to test a theory, there research worker is guided by the choice of his apparatus or the construction of a new instrument. He must be guided by a profound understanding of the phenomenon under study with special instinct to avoid false moves and blind alleys. Much work and reflection often precede the sudden flashes showing the researcher the best way of producing or observing a new phenomenon. He often has to design very complicated experimental arrangements, follow a rigorous method, display great ingenuity and carry out long experiments systematically. While the theoretician has to tackle the complex theoretical calculations, logical formulation and analysis of a phenomenon, the experimenters work meets additional difficulties of a material order.
The discoveries made in experimental science at a particular epoch depends both on the state of technique and on the improvements in theory. Thus the invention of X-ray diffractometer, high vacuum pumps and production of low temperature influenced the development of solid state physics as much as the discovery of quantum theory did, and modern solid state electronics and information revolution have come about from solid state physics.
The conditions of discovery:
There have been many attempts to answer the question as to how the discovery of new concepts and theories or for that matter invention of any kind comes about. But mostly this question has been dismissed either by saying that the phenomenon of discovery is so illusory that it needs no explanation or that it is so mysterious that it permits no explanation. But this view does not help to understand the process or discovery nor to create conditions favourable, to new discovery. Looking at the history of scientific discovery we can find out that discovery does not happen completely at random in time or space or amongst people. There are special conditions formed which favour new discovery at certain time or region and create certain personalities and create inspiration in some individuals.
We can define scientific method as the collection of all the methods that have been successful in solving specific problems. The collection of these methods constitute as set. This is not a closed set, because new methods will be invented in the future to be included in this gamut of methods which may by called discovery set. Again, although ther is no predetermined law of scientific discovery, there are general conditions favouring new scientific discovery which can be identified objectivly. Thus we can think about a probllistic law rather than a deterministic law.
To be continued
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