Speculative science

Now that the answer to what does science do has been introduced, names can be attached to the doing (1) the theoretical or speculative sciences are those in which truth as truth is studied (2) in the applied sciences truth in do-ing/action and truth in making/beauty are studied and (3) in the methodological sciences how human reasoning leads to truth are studied. 

Many commentaries are available on the works of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas that summarize the degrees of abstraction that distinguish the speculative sciences. See, for example, Maritain (1959, pp. 35-36) and Te Velde (2006, pp. 51-53). 

The applied sciences are subordinate to the speculative sciences as the speculative sciences are subordinate to the science that provides their principles— metaphysics. The knowledge obtained by the natural sciences must precede the application of the knowledge through engineering, and in that sense engineering is subordinate to the natural sciences as well. 

Engineering can now be examined according to its relationship to the speculative sciences. 

Kletz, T. A. (1991). Tresent Trends in Process Safety. Speculations in Science and Technology, Developments in Chemical Engineering 15, 2, 83-90. 

Iand87b] Landauer, R., Computation a fundamental physical view . Speculations in Science and Technology 10 (1987) 292-302. 

Wetzel RG (1990) Reservoir ecosystems Conclusions and speculations. In Tundisi JG, Straskraba M (eds) Theoretical reservoir ecology and its applications. International Institute of Ecology. Brazilian Academy of Sciences and Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, pp 195-208... 

In the nineteenth century, Humphry Davy (1778-1829) speculated that the luminosity of flames is caused by fhe production and ignition of solid particles of carbon as a resulf of the decomposition of a part of the gas. Jons Jakob Berzelius (1779-1848) is said to be the first to describe an ordinary candle flame as consisting of four disfincf zones. Davy s protege, Michael Faraday [9] (1791-1867) gave his Christmas lectures and accom-pan3ung demonstrations to a juvenile audience on "The Chemical History of a Candle" in 1848 and 1860. Around the turn of the century, modem combustion science was established based on the increased understanding of chemistry, physics, and thermodynamics. 

Waite, Arthur Edward, ed. Unknown world a magazine devoted to the occult sciences, mystical philosophy, alchemy, hermetic archaeology, and the hidden problems of science, literature, speculation, and history. London J. Elliott, Aug 1894-Jun 1895. 

Comte s three-stage principle can be applied not only to the intellectual development of all mankind, but also to the individual development of a single human being. It can also be applied to the development of an individual science at first there is a dominance of theological and mythical concepts, followed by the phase of metaphysical speculation, and finally the advanced stage of positive knowledge. 

Taking a value of 107 for N would mean that in our galaxy (with its perhaps 100 billion stars), there could be several million planets with life forms capable of interstellar communication. However, if these were distributed statistically, the nearest would still be 200 light years away from Earth. One point is important the term probability used in the Drake equation is interpreted in the sense of subjective probability (a term from the nomenclature used by statisticians and probability theorists), as the numerical value of this probability is determined only by the experience of the scientist concerned (Casti, 1989). Casti also provides more information on the Drake factors (apart from the factor fs) in the chapter Where are they then In summary, we can say that the Drake equation is a first attempt to quantify the ETI problem in order to move from the area of science fiction and pure speculation to that of serious scientific debate. 

Orgel L. E. (1998). The origins of life - a review of the facts and speculations. Trends in Biochemical Sciences 23 491. 

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