Dr. Crowley
Dr. Warren
The Computer Metaphor
- Dominant metaphor in modern science
- The universe is like a computer consisting of complex networks with interrelated parts
- Example: Darwinism
- Sociological Perspective
- Metaphors are necessary during primary education
- Secondary education an inequality in education occurs
- Post-secondary education metaphors may be necessary for new complex concepts
- Research publications do not need to include metaphors
The Machine Metaphor
- Science cannot be taught without metaphors
- Believes metaphors help the students engage in the topic and remember material better
- "metaphors are not enough, but they are necessary"
- "Metaphors mask as well as reveal"
- Most students are just looking for answers, not understanding
- Uses Star-Trek, Shakespeare, & Southern Lifestyle to connect
- Used by Galileo, Descartes, Boyle and Newton
- Imagined the universe as a machine composed of mechanical parts
- This led scientist to think of everything as a machine
- Created a shift in science to start evaluating things on a micro level
Other Examples
Thomas Kuhn
- Earth is a galactic heat engine
- An apple is like the moon
- The distribution of mass in the universe is foamlike
- The solar system is like a neighborhood
- Greenhouse Gases
- Was pro-metaphors
- Thought that metaphors were very useful for explaining new paradigms
- "you don’t see something until you have the right metaphor to let you perceive it"
Pros
- Allow people to relate to the topic
- Presents difficult concepts easily
- Can make dry material entertaining
Cons
- Doesn't fully explain a concept
- Can confuse students more
- Could be distracting
What are metaphors?
Any non literal use of language that results in a partial mapping of one term, image, object, concept or process onto another to reveal unsuspected similarities
Metaphors clearly have a place in scientific writing for educational purposes but its use in the professional realm is up for debate.
Metaphors in Science Writing