In Audio, Rest Day/Theory
May 02, 2009
Jeff Glassman lectured about the nature of science itself at the Science of Exercise seminar on April 25th, 2009. Some have said that science is like love in that we can’t define, but we know it when we see it. Jeff disagrees. There are certain criteria that differentiate science from non-science, and it’s essential to identify them.
Key terms are defined, such as models, measurement and prediction, conjecture, hypothesis, theory, and law. And, the nature of logic, analysis, knowledge, and error are described.
These terms are used to explain a variety of concepts, such as why gravity is science and creationism and peer review are not.
Jeff has made his Lecture Notes available.
58min 38sec
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6 Comments on “Science and Skepticism”
1
wrote …
Mr. Glassman,
This is a very much needed package for our community, and I personally have hungered for such scientific criteria ever since starting CrossFit. I fully, enthusiastically purpose to attend the Science of Exercise Cert and cannot adequately thank you enough for providing this to the Journal. The import of the hard sciences to human performance is a fight I know Coach is leading on all fronts and am glad to be, at least foundationally, so armed with these methods.
Zeb
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2
Russell Berger wrote …
Excellent presentation. This is truly the foundation of our practice, and listening to Jeff Glassman's definition of sceince (refreshingly devoid of any fluff or sugar-coating) gives insight into the success of our model and the necessity of ruthless self-analysis. Keep up the good content!
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3
wrote …
"There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact."
Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi (1883)
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4
wrote …
The pyramid chart about Crossfit as a science was cool!
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5
Samy Daghir wrote …
The Science of Exercise cert was amazing, I would recommend it to any CrossFitter with an ounce of curiosity regarding the mechanisms that drive what we experience with this potent form of training. Listening to Dr. Glassman, Lon Kilgore and all the other great minds behind the CrossFit paradigm was intense and eye opening. It was an extra bonus when Coach Rippetoe and Coach Glassman showed up as well, it will be interesting to see where this goes as CrossFit approaches new realms of validity and acceptance in the world of exercise physiology.
Thanks to everyone that was involved.
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6
Dan MacDougald wrote …
This is the best explanation of what science is and isn't that I've ever heard. It is really a lecture on how to think for yourself, how to analyze scientific & pseudo scientific arguments, and how skepticism is essential to the scientific method.
Several of the ideas presented in this lecture run counter to accepted conceptions of science in academia. For example, Dr. Glassman's explains why peer review is not necessary to good science.
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