I found this presentation to be quite beneficial, particularly for approaching the readings for this class. Since Kuhn is not a simple read, a greater comprehension of the history of science will likely improve the reading process moving forward. I liked Dr. Otter’s comment that “you cannot be ahead of your time.” I agree with this idea that the phrase, “ahead of your time” is a bit overstated since in order to be where they are they must be of their time and have had the upbringing and education that they did, shaping them into accomplished individuals.
As an individual that enjoys history from the last few hundred years, I find the topic of scientific revolutions to be quite interesting. The comment that “ideas make history” is intriguing since what we are taught in classrooms all stem from major ideas that shaped the modern way of thinking. Often times, I gravitate towards questioning whether what I am taught in a historical sense is accurate. As I have stated in previous commentaries, we view everything with a modern lens and will never truly understand certain events or time periods, so pictures become fuzzy. Yet, this picture is also complicated by societal consensus. It is interesting that something that is “fact” can be entirely rejected by a society and disregarded. Moreover, I think it is important to realize that science is highly political, constantly being shaped by money and institutions.
When Dr. Otter spoke of the way in which we are a part of paradigm shift culture, I was surprised by the accuracy of what he said. I particularly related to his comment that we always trust the textbook and the experiment and never assume a variant result disproves the experiment. But more importantly, his commentary on the trauma of paradigm shifts was my favorite part of the presentation. I had yet to spend a great deal of time reflecting on the impact that paradigm shifts can have on overthrown viewpoints, even leading to traumatic suicides as in the example he provided. People become so invested in what they believe to be true, that rejection can be detrimental. I bet that if there was stark evidence disproving my core beliefs, I would be devastated and not know what to do with myself. Yet, as a closing thought, I found Dr. Otter’s statement that an argument can be made for the end of the age of paradigm shifts to be an engaging concept. I will likely spend time reflecting on the complications of modern day science and how that may inhibit some paradigms.