IDS 101Raft Debate

Science’s Position2/5/2008

Dr. Johnny B. Holmes

Professor of Physics

Situation

• You are on a raft with several other people.

• You are way out of your comfort zone.

• You are allowed to choose one more person, a person who is an expert in an area of one of CBU’s four schools:

Arts, Business, Engineering, Science.

Immediate Problem

• What is your most important worry in the beginning? Survival

• Who can most help in this situation?

Survivor Man• What kind of background does Survivor

Man have?

Field Biologist

Why a Field Biologist?

From the stated problem, we can assume that your group has very limited resources. But with knowledge and the scientific method, there are tremendous resources available if you only know where to look!

The Field Biologist knows where to look.

Field Biologist can

• Knows the basic requirements for survival

• Can build a decent shelter

• Can find ways of keeping warm or cool

• Can find drinkable water

• Knows first aide

• Can improvise

Beyond Survivor Mode

You make it past the initial survivor situations. How do you improve your situation?

The next step is to assure more secure shelter and a replenishable food supply.

Who can help best?

Botanist/Animal Behaviorist

Why Botanist/Animal Behaviorist?

• Protection from dangerous plants (poisonous) and animals

• Securing of appropriate medicines• Hunter/Gatherer for food while crops are

planted• Planting and nurturing of appropriate crops• Obtaining appropriate building materials:

good wood, fibers for ropes, appropriate roofing

Third stage: a vibrant & growing society

• Science is based on the experimental method for finding what works.

• It is based on a search for truth, that will carry over into other aspects of society.

• It is based on a shared enterprise, and so serves best and thrives best in an open and free society.

• It creates (discovers?) new resources.

Scientific Training• An experimental scientist is also partly an

engineer. (It is true that an engineer is also partly a scientist.)

• An experimental scientist is also partly a business operator, since the scientist has to coordinate a wide range of people and skills to conduct the experiments.

• A person knowledgeable about ethics and communication skills, because science is a shared endeavor.

Choosing

• In reality, you might not be able to choose the best specialty for your most immediate and pressing need, i.e., a Field Biologist.

• I would suggest the following order:• 1) Field Biologist• 2) Experimental Scientist• 3) Engineer• 4) Theoretical Scientist (assuming you have some

people with physical skills and experience)