In studying nature, human cognition takes the precise form of experimentation and mathematical formulation. All scientific theories have to be validated by experiments. The scientific method is this mode of obtaining knowledge about nature. In this area, nature's laws and the scientific method, as realised in the physical sciences, will be the main focus.
An important paradigm in science is explaining the behaviour of phenomena by looking for underlying processes and structures at a more microscopic scale. This has been very successful over the last few centuries leading to the discovery of molecules, atoms, nuclei, etc. on the one hand, and to the concept of planets, solar systems, galaxies and the cosmos on the other. This microscopic view of nature will be addressed in this area, drawing mostly from concepts developed in physics.
A leading instance of critical thinking is embodied in the logical structure of science. The process of arriving at physical laws forms one of the cornerstones of critical thinking. This mode of inquiry will be emphasised in the modules, and it will be seen that some of the laws of nature are intuitive, while others are quite counter-intuitive.
The laws of Nature from the microscopic, mesoscopic to the macroscopic form a seamless whole. This provides a rich example illustrating the interconnectedness of all human knowledge: a fundamental premise of the Core Curriculum.
Last updated: 07 March, 2000