h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Or put another way, does science know where it's going; do scientists agree on what the ultimate goal/purpose of science is or is each scientist merely striving to reach their own goals?

Well, the secret goal is to enslave the human race and the planet, creating scientists overlords. That's the real reason why we've created the hoax about global warming/climate change.

the academic world is very cut throat and everybody has a pet theory they put forward and then someone else tries to disprove it.But it is supposed to be ultimately for the benefit of human kind and also to find answers. Though I still don't know what the people who studied melon buying in relation to breast size in women thought they were achieving This was a true study, I kid you not.
(plus of course governments can suppress findings or distort them, if they don't like them.)

The immediate answer that springs to mind is 'no, science is a system of knowledge about the world around us and what goes on there'. Then there is the scientific method which is a means to discover that knowledge.
Then there are scientists who use (and abuse) the method and the knowledge for probably as many reasons as there are scientists.

Does there have to be an ultimate goal?

I guess if you stated that there is a finite amount of knowledge about our environment then it might be a possible goal of the collected body of scientists throughout time to know all that there is to know. But as we don't know if a) there is a finite amount of knowledge and b) whether it is possible for us to know it then whether you ascribe to that is a personal opinion.

But personally I just want my personal jet pack like wot we was promised we'd have in the 21st Century.

"I guess if you stated that there is a finite amount of knowledge about our environment then it might be a possible goal of the collected body of scientists throughout time to know all that there is to know. But as we don't know if a) there is a finite amount of knowledge and b) whether it is possible for us to know it then whether you ascribe to that is a personal opinion."

Ever heard of Goedel? He showed that our knowledge of mathematics must always be incomplete (more accurately he showed that for any sufficiently complicated system of representing mathematics you can come up with, there will be some things that are not provable one way or the other). If our knowledge of mathematics must remain incomplete, surely our knowledge of science will be.

More funding.

B

I'm with you on the jet-packs, though.

Michael Owen in the final minute, 4 weeks or so from now?

There's the 'Theory Of Everything' (TOE) school of thought that seeks (probably in vain, even ultimately ) to have the 'whole - general - mish - mash' tidily expalined in one, all-purpose conceptual model

Some say 'string theory' holds the key: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/everything.html

I'm not sure what there on about at TOE quest either: http://www.toequest.com/

Likewise, I have no idea what one Jerry Davidson Wheatley (as seen on http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/00601.htm ) means by
"Theory of Everything Equation Revealed
Scientific Verification and Proof of Logic God Is"

"Ever heard of Goedel?"
I had heard of the name and something about his mathematical proof. A good point to raise though.

Mu Beta: Bit like the question of what is the primary function of universities? To produce research papers and thus gain funding.

The world was supposed to be ruled by benevolent egg-heads with intelligent piercing eyes but something went badly wrong ... now they've decided to leave us to our own (nuclear) devices

a priori - Armageddon
(Book of Revelations - Chap.16 v.16)

<<"Scientific Verification and Proof of Logic God Is">>

I dunno what he's on about either,but he seems to have been taking grammar lessons from Yoda.

Noggin

Wrong with Yoda's grammar there is nothing. Logical it is.

turvy

*tangent*

Wouldn't "May the force be with you" in Yoda-speak be "May with you be the force"? Kinda reduces its catchphrasability though.

I think it should be "The force, with you may it be"

B

The force be with you may it.

Be with you the force it may.

May your mass be compounded by acceleration

Knowledge is the ultimate goal. There is nothing else.