Editorial: “But Is It Science?”

But is it science?

Early years science education is not science, but a curricular construction designed to induct young children into a range of ideas and practices related to the natural world. While inquiry-based learning is an important approach to this, it is not of itself unique to science and there are a range of logico-mathematical constructions that come closer to the essence of science. In this paper we ...

Computer Security is Not a Science ( but it should be )

Security research is sometimes referred to as the “Humanities of Computer Science” because, too frequently, “secure” systems are built using equal measures of folklore and black arts. Despite the humorous intention, there is a kernel of truth in this jest— computer security, at least “security in the large”, is not currently a science. This claim may seem unfair, given the progress made in secu...

Bioethics Science: Is it?

Both western and eastern civilizations have linked moral teaching with theology followed by philosophy. New-knowledge-seekers about natural world, were called 'natural philosophers'. There was a paradigm shift during industrial revolution in western world which culminated in modern science. The word "scientist" was coined during the 19th century. The paper examines whether natural philosophers ...

But Is It Phenomenology?

“But Is It Science Fiction?”: Science Fiction and a Theory of Genre

If science fiction is a genre, then attempts to think about the nature of science fiction will be affected by one’s understanding of what genres are. I shall examine two approaches to genre, one (genres as regions of conceptual space) dominant but inadequate, the other (genres as historical particulars) better, but only occasionally making itself seen. I shall then discuss several important, in...