Jeffrey Fine: Topic 7: Are There Limits to Science?

	In Tuesday's 
class, group seven 
made a 
presentation 
concerning the end 
of science.  
Certainly, there 
are topics in 
science that have 
a limit.  For 
example, 
scientists believe 
there is a 
temperature -- 
absolute zero -- 
which is the 
minimum 
temperature which 
is theoretically 
possible.  It is a 
*theoretical* 
temperature; 
scientists can 
achieve 
temperatures which 
are close to 
absolute zero, but 
they conjecture 
that it is not 
possible to reach 
that temperature.  
In mathematical 
terms, there is a 
limit (absolute 
zero), we are 
almost certain it 
exists (is there 
any way of really 
knowing ?), but we 
have not been able 
to reach that 
limit.
	Chaos theory was 
the science 
studied in the 
eighties.  Many of 
the images of 
chaos theory deal 
with the topic of 
limits in science: 
The butterfly 
effect, the 
Mandelbrot set, 
and the Koch 
Curve.  (Given an 
equilateral 
triangle, divide 
each segment into 
thirds.  Use the 
middle third of 
each segment as 
the base and 
create a new 
equilateral 
triangle.  Repeat 
this process an 
infinite number of 
times and the Koch 
curve is created).  
The Koch curve has 
a limit (finite 
area) but is also 
limitless (the 
length of the 
perimeter is 
infinite).  The 
Koch curve is an 
example where 
science is both 
limitless and 
bounded.
	Science has some 
clearly defined 
limits such as the 
Koch curve and 
absolute zero.  
Other parts of 
science do not 
have limits, such 
as pi or the 
maximum 
temperature.  
However, no one 
has been able to 
prove that either 
these limits or 
infinite 
properties exist.  
Several hundred 
years ago, 
everyone thought 
the world was 
flat.  This was 
the belief until 
someone tried 
sailing to the 
edge of the world.  
Today, we are 
asking the same 
question: does the 
world (of science) 
have a boundary 
(limit).  Until 
someone tries 
sailing to the 
edge, we must 
believe that 
science is bounded 
and unbounded 
simultaneous.  In 
reality, we may 
never know the 
answer to this 
question (if an 
answer even 
exists) -- 
certainly not in 
our lifetime.