An Instinct for Truth
An Instinct for Truth

Author: Robert T. Pennock

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2019-08-13

Total Pages: 449

ISBN-13: 0262042584

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An exploration of the scientific mindset—such character virtues as curiosity, veracity, attentiveness, and humility to evidence—and its importance for science, democracy, and human flourishing. Exemplary scientists have a characteristic way of viewing the world and their work: their mindset and methods all aim at discovering truths about nature. In An Instinct for Truth, Robert Pennock explores this scientific mindset and argues that what Charles Darwin called “an instinct for truth, knowledge, and discovery” has a tacit moral structure—that it is important not only for scientific excellence and integrity but also for democracy and human flourishing. In an era of “post-truth,” the scientific drive to discover empirical truths has a special value. Taking a virtue-theoretic perspective, Pennock explores curiosity, veracity, skepticism, humility to evidence, and other scientific virtues and vices. He explains that curiosity is the most distinctive element of the scientific character, by which other norms are shaped; discusses the passionate nature of scientific attentiveness; and calls for science education not only to teach scientific findings and methods but also to nurture the scientific mindset and its core values. Drawing on historical sources as well as a sociological study of more than a thousand scientists, Pennock's philosophical account is grounded in values that scientists themselves recognize they should aspire to. Pennock argues that epistemic and ethical values are normatively interconnected, and that for science and society to flourish, we need not just a philosophy of science, but a philosophy of the scientist.

Against the Odds
Against the Odds

Author: Bruce Vincent

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-03-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781544035307

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When Bruce's school principal told his parents he was too smart to be a logger, everything changed. Set apart from a family heritage society had deemed not 'good enough' for a smart son, Bruce's childhood was tortured by the thought of leaving a life he loved. Dutifully, he moved away, went to college and got a job in a city. Until he and his wife, fed up with their ill-suited life, shucked all social expectations and moved their family back to Libby, Montana. Expecting to settle into a hard but rewarding life in logging, Bruce's family and community were rocked by a growing antagonism towards their industry. Soon, he was thrust into the forefront of a national debate in which loggers were denigrated for destroying the environment. Dubbed the Timber Wars, the conflict raged from the late 80s through the 90s, while Bruce was front and center, working himself to exhaustion to preserve their heritage and ensure good forest management. As the logging contracts dried up, he could only watch in agony as his family's business closed and his community began to fall apart. Bruce and his fellow loggers had become Public Enemy No. 1 and their livelihoods were being eradicated. Yet Americans continued to enjoy their wood furniture and products. Only now, timber imports were on the rise and our national forests were exploding into flames from a massive fuel overload that management and controlled logging could have mitigated. Confronting this harsh reality, he and his team faced the hardest work yet - looking in the mirror. What had they been doing wrong? What can we do to work towards real, meaningful progress?

Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities
Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1995-10-27

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13: 0309052955

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Although few Americans work as farmers these days, agriculture on the whole remains economically importantâ€"playing a key role in such contemporary issues as consumer health and nutrition, worker safety and animal welfare, and environmental protection. This publication provides a comprehensive picture of the primary education system for the nation's agriculture industry: the land grant colleges of agriculture. Colleges of Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities informs the public debate about the challenges that will shape the future of these colleges and serves as a foundation for a second volume, which will present recommendations for policy and institutional changes in the land grant system. This book reviews the legislative history of the land grant system from its establishment in 1862 to the 1994 act conferring land grant status on Native American colleges. It describes trends that have shaped agriculture and agricultural education over the decadesâ€"the shift of labor from farm to factory, reasons for and effects of increased productivity and specialization, the rise of the corporate farm, and more. The committee reviews the system's three-part missionâ€"education, research, and extension serviceâ€"and through this perspective documents the changing nature of funding and examines the unique structure of the U.S. agricultural research and education system. Demographic data on faculties, students, extension staff, commodity and funding clusters, and geographic specializations profile the system and identify similarities and differences among the colleges of agriculture, trends in funding, and a host of other issues. The tables in the appendix provide further itemization about general population distribution, student and educator demographics, types of degree programs, and funding allocations. Concise commentary and informative graphics augment the detailed statistical presentations. This book will be important to policymakers, administrators, educators, researchers, and students of agriculture.

NACTA Journal Volume 58, Sup. 1
NACTA Journal Volume 58, Sup. 1

Author: NACTA Journal

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2014-05-09

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13: 1495113019

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The NACTA Journal, Supplement 1 publishes the abstracts from the annual conference held each June. These abstracts represent oral and poster presentations given by faculty members and graduate students from colleges and universities in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and other countries.

Monthly Labor Review
Monthly Labor Review

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1971

Total Pages: 754

ISBN-13:

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Publishes in-depth articles on labor subjects, current labor statistics, information about current labor contracts, and book reviews.