science

Science is a Sacred Cow

Science is a Sacred Cow is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Science is a Sacred Cow rather than just read about it. In short: Science is a Sacred Cow is a book written by the chemist Anthony Standen. It was first published in 1950 by E.

Key takeaways

Science is a Sacred Cow belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Science is a Sacred Cow to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Science is a Sacred Cow from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Science is a Sacred Cow is a book written by the chemist Anthony Standen. It was first published in 1950 by E. P. Dutton. It was in print for 40 years. The book argues that some scientists and many teachers of science have "inflated egos" or, in the words of Standen, "a fabulous collective ego, as inflated as a skillfully blown piece of bubble gum". The book was widely reviewed.

Reception Part of the book's thesis is that the general public and students of science hold the words of scientists in awe even when these are merely "latinized nonsense". According to a March 1950 issue of Time, Standen's concerns are that scientists can be and have been "overbearing," "overpraised," and "overindulged". The book was once praised by one of the great scientists: Albert Einstein. An editorial note in the March 27, 1950, issue of Life magazine introducing several pages of excerpts and a half dozen editorial cartoons from Sacred Cow states "With tongue-in-cheek hyperbole, [Standen] suggests that a group that takes itself so seriously deserves some serious skepticism. Life—without taking all Mr. Standen's funmaking too seriously—thinks he deserves a happy hearing".

Contents The book is 221 pages and has eight chapters:

"They Say It's Wonderful." "How They Dish It Out." "Science at Its Best: Physics." "Biology, or Know Thyself" "The Proper Study: Psychology." "The Social Animal." "True Science: Mathematics." "Watch Those Scientists."

References

External links Essay on Science is a Sacred Cow at TMP ministries

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Science is a Sacred Cow

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Science is a Sacred Cow claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Science is a Sacred Cow before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Science is a Sacred Cow ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Science is a Sacred Cow

In research: Science is a Sacred Cow appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Science is a Sacred Cow in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Science is a Sacred Cow is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1950 non-fiction books, Books about the history of science, Books about the politics of science, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Science is a Sacred Cow outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Science is a Sacred Cow in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Science is a Sacred Cow means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Science is a Sacred Cow out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Science is a Sacred Cow in simple terms?

Science is a Sacred Cow is a book written by the chemist Anthony Standen. It was first published in 1950 by E.

Why does Science is a Sacred Cow matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Science is a Sacred Cow?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Science is a Sacred Cow.