Are We Scientists W. A. WULF University of Virginia, or Engineers? Charlottesville, Virginia ( wulf@virginia.edu) Like those sophomoric debates about trees falling in the forest, the answer depends on the definition. In my dictionary, the preferred definition properties of the natural world. Engineering properties to solve practical problems. By scientists natural. The By that the method nor engineers. definition of discovery, The principal in my we are dictionary both But since of science involves discovering involves the application of those those definitions we are neither of our study expansive, study and are manmade, focuses more since not on we objects third is more the rigorous scientists and includes perhaps of any phenomena. engineers, is a useful the level of we of an the No are definition both study and response to the apply computation. original question, I am not it reflects sure that only that abstraction has been raised at a some even higher level of abstraction are probably also humanists. If we abstract too lmuch, we lose the intent making the distinction in the first place. Does the answer matter? In some ways, analogy science to help and explain what reliable, we and engineering-the of useful, that
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Are we scientists or engineers?
Wulf, W. A.
Follow ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR)
, Volume 27 (1)
Association for Computing Machinery – Mar 1, 1995
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