Future Proof Science

Is science getting at the truth? The sceptics - those who spread doubt about science - often employ a simple argument: scientists were 'sure' in the past, and then they ended up being wrong. Through a combination of historical investigation and philosophical-sociological analysis, Identifying Future-Proof Science defends science against this potentially dangerous scepticism. Indeed, we can confidently identify many scientific claims that are future-proof: they will last forever, so long as science continues. How do we identify future-proof claims? This appears to be a new question for science scholars, and not an unimportant one. Peter Vickers argues that the best way to identify future-proof science is to avoid any attempt to analyse the relevant first-order scientific evidence, instead focusing purely on second-order evidence. Specifically, a scientific claim is future-proof when the relevant scientific community is large, international, and diverse, and at least 95% of that community would describe the claim as a 'scientific fact'. In the entire history of science, no claim meeting these criteria has ever been overturned, despite enormous opportunity.

Is science getting at the truth? The sceptics - those who spread doubt about science - often employ a simple argument: scientists were 'sure' in the past, and then they ended up being wrong. Through a combination of historical investigation and philosophical-sociological analysis, Identifying Future-Proof Science defends science against this potentially dangerous scepticism. Indeed, we can confidently identify many scientific claims that are future-proof: they will last forever, so long as science continues. How do we identify future-proof claims? This appears to be a new question for science scholars, and not an unimportant one. Peter Vickers argues that the best way to identify future-proof science is to avoid any attempt to analyse the relevant first-order scientific evidence, instead focusing purely on second-order evidence. Specifically, a scientific claim is future-proof when the relevant scientific community is large, international, and diverse, and at least 95% of that community would describe the claim as a 'scientific fact'. In the entire history of science, no claim meeting these criteria has ever been overturned, despite enormous opportunity.

Explores how to identify future-proof science. Peter Vickers takes a transdisciplinary approach in his analysis of 'scientific fact' in order to defend science against potentially dangerous scepticism.

Peter Vickers examines 'inconsistent theories' in the history of science—theories which, though contradictory, are held to be extremely useful. He argues that these 'theories' are actually significantly different entities, and warns that the traditional goal of philosophy to make substantial, general claims about how science works is misguided.

This book focuses on software architecture and the value of architecture in the development of long-lived, mission-critical, trustworthy software-systems. The author introduces and demonstrates the powerful strategy of “Managed Evolution,” along with the engineering best practice known as “Principle-based Architecting.” The book examines in detail architecture principles for e.g., Business Value, Changeability, Resilience, and Dependability. The author argues that the software development community has a strong responsibility to produce and operate useful, dependable, and trustworthy software. Software should at the same time provide business value and guarantee many quality-of-service properties, including security, safety, performance, and integrity. As Dr. Furrer states, “Producing dependable software is a balancing act between investing in the implementation of business functionality and investing in the quality-of-service properties of the software-systems.” The book presents extensive coverage of such concepts as: Principle-Based Architecting Managed Evolution Strategy The Future Principles for Business Value Legacy Software Modernization/Migration Architecture Principles for Changeability Architecture Principles for Resilience Architecture Principles for Dependability The text is supplemented with numerous figures, tables, examples and illustrative quotations. Future-Proof Software-Systems provides a set of good engineering practices, devised for integration into most software development processes dedicated to the creation of software-systems that incorporate Managed Evolution.

Provides a spirited defence of anti-realism in philosophy of science. Shows the historical evidence and logical challenges facing scientific realism.

This title charts from prototype to realization the real-life technical evolution of 50 of the most poplar science-fiction inventions. It is essential reading for the technology addict or SF film fan.Detailing the history, the reality and the tech spec of 50 of science fiction's most brilliant crime-fighting, space-travelling, remote controlled, lightspeed, artificially intelligent inventions, "Future Proof" is required reading for anyone who knows their wormhole from their black holes...It features: "Buck Rogers'" jetpack, "Jetsons" - Flying cars, "Star Trek's" transporters, "The Six Million-Dollar Man's" cyborg, "Sleeper's" Orgasmatron, "2001's" artificial intelligence, "Lost in Space's" remote controlled robots, "Vanilla Sky's" Cryonics, "Star Wars'" Warp Drives, "Back to the Future's" time travel, "Total Recall's" Terraforming, "Doctor Who's" robot pets, "Galatic Patrol's" Cybernetics, "A Fall of Moondust's" space tourism, "Stargate's" wormholes and "Brave New World's" Hypnopedia.

This world has changed. The future has changed. Childhood is changing. Raising children has never been more challenging - or potentially rewarding. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the world into which our young children will enter as adults, somewhere between 2020 and 2030, will be nothing like the world their parents grew up in, or even the world we currently inhabit. We need a better understanding of the world of the future in order to prepare our children and to 'future-proof' them. Future-proof Your Child is a very different kind of parenting book. It contains many useful, practical hints and tips but also focuses on the context for parenting and child development today. It convinces 21st-century parents of the need to change their approach to parenting future generations and is relevant, accessible, practical and inspirational. Future-proof Your Child highlights the critical importance of making choices, having conversations and consciously connecting with tomorrow's children today.