How can we reconcile the relentless drive to pursue knowledge with the finite resources we have available?
This Theory of Knowledge essay discusses how the natural sciences and the human sciences can reconcile the search for knowledge at a time when their resources are limited. Using real-world examples like how the COVID-19 vaccines were developed, the creation of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and Richard Thaler's work in behavioral economics, this essay example discusses strategies like the scientific method, collaborative research, longitudinal studies, and focused research. The essay author combines journal articles and websites, including scholarly research on longitudinal studies and case studies taken from reputable online sources, to provide a well-balanced perspective. Moreover, the MLA citations chosen by the essay author were deliberately used to ensure proper referencing of academic articles and online resources.
December 29, 2024
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
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How can we reconcile the relentless drive to pursue knowledge with the finite resources we have
available? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
Human progress is driven by the pursuit of knowledge in many fields. However, it has
also become more apparent that resource constraints such as time and funding have a significant
effect on the extent of this relentless pursuit. For example, in the natural sciences, the nature of
inquiry requires a lot of resources to carry out experiments and research in different disciplines.
Similarly, experts in the human sciences must have data and knowledge sufficient to approximate
the truth in order to produce significant datasets and knowledge that approximates the truth.
However, as the world becomes more limited in these resources, a major question looms. How
can we reconcile these constraints with the relentless drive to pursue knowledge? This
knowledge question paves the way for an examination of the fine line between our commitment
to knowledge and the constraints of limited resources. Here, knowledge will be defined as
understanding and insight derived by means of scientific inquiry. In contrast, finite resources
define such aspects as limited time, funding, and environmental factors that limit research. To
reconcile means to resolve two things that do not seem to go together or can exist side by side
harmoniously. In this sense, this essay will try to establish that there are strategies through which
natural and human scientists can translate the relentless quest for knowledge against limited
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resources, by applying the scientific method, collaborative research, longitudinal studies, and
focused, targeted research.
Natural Sciences
The scientific method is a key way in this area of knowledge to reconcile the relentless drive to
gain knowledge with finite resources because it takes into account efficiency, precision, and
systematic inquiry. It is a method of formulating clear hypotheses, doing controlled experiments,
and analyzing results in order to minimize resource use and maximize the impact of eventual
results (Popovic 14). Researchers can use testable and significant hypotheses to design the kinds
of experiments that would give them the most useful insights with the least expenditure of
resources. Such an approach keeps the expense of its pursuit both reasonable and accountable,
minimizing the waste of expensive resources to maintain progress. This claim is verified by the
development of the COVID-19 vaccines, in particular, the Pfizer BioNTech mRNA vaccine.
Instead of years of traditional trial and error drug testing that would require a huge amount of
resources, researchers were able to apply the scientific method efficiently, using preexisting
mRNA technology. The vaccine itself had been in development for years, and the application of
preexisting data on coronaviruses allowed them to more quickly run through hypotheses, do
controlled trials, and tweak the vaccine design with far fewer resources than a new invention
would have required (Lewis, Badkar and Cirelli 643). Computational models and lab-grown cell
cultures helped minimize large-scale physical experimentation and accelerated development
while still being safe and effective. This example shows an example of the scientific method
prioritizing efficiency, using as few resources as possible, while still resulting in valuable
discoveries. This reconciles the absolutely relentless drive to pursue knowledge through the
natural sciences with finite resources, thus progressing without exhausting critical resources.
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Another way to reconcile the never-ending drive to gain knowledge with limited
resources in the natural sciences is to focus on the principle that science should be collaborative
and that science should be shared. Research in the natural sciences often requires a great deal of
data collection, experimentation, and analysis, which can be expensive. However, by working
together across entire research institutions, these scientists are able to share their research data,
methodologies, and findings, eliminating the need for redundant experiments and maximizing
the value of research resources. In this collaborative approach, scientists can pool their expertise
and resources in performing more comprehensive studies without the redundancy of multiple
laboratories performing the same experiment. For example, we can illustrate this by looking at
the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and its Legacy Survey of Space and Time. In contrast to
independent observatories pursuing their own endeavors, scientists worldwide have united their
efforts and put together a single, advanced facility capable of conducting a survey of the sky in
unmatched detail. Billions of celestial objects will be studied by the observatory and the results
will be shared with the global scientific community (Gamillo). The Rubin Observatory pairs
resources, expertise, and data in such a way that astronomers can quickly delve into large-scale
cosmic phenomena that they would never have been able to do without teaming up. In the field
of astronomy, this collaboration effectively tackles the challenge of finite resources, showcasing
how the unrelenting urge to seek knowledge can be reconciled with finite resources through
sharing and cooperation. Through this form of collaboration, the natural sciences have the
potential of huge progress preserving finite resources while constantly advancing knowledge so
as not to exhaust the available means of discovery.
Human Sciences
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In the human sciences, the tension between the drive to research and the finite resources at our
disposal can be overcome through longitudinal studies that measure change over time, but with
smaller, easier-to-manage sample sizes. These studies are useful because they provide
researchers with the opportunity to observe trends, patterns, and shifts in behavior or attitude
over an extended period of time without the need for extensive data collection (Bala 106).
Experts can gain deeper insight into how individuals or groups change over time by studying
fewer people over a longer period of time. Particularly useful in the areas of psychology,
sociology, and anthropology where the focus is on change or long-term outcomes in a certain
context, this method gives researchers the freedom to concentrate on quality data rather than
quantity. Therefore, by not succumbing to resource limitations, longitudinal studies may provide
a means for continued progress in the human sciences. The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health
and Development Study is an instance that demonstrates this claim. It's a study that's been going
on in the 1970s to monitor how 1,000 individuals born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1972-1973
are doing health and behavior-wise (Corlett). For the past couple of decades, these participants
have been followed by researchers across stages of life, documenting in-depth their
psychological, physical, and social development. However, while its sample size is smaller, the
Dunedin Study has made important contributions to topics like the influence of early childhood
behavior on mental health, the emergence of personality traits throughout the lifespan, and the
long-term impact of environmental stress on psychological outcomes. This method allows for a
significant amount of findings over time with little cost in the form of large-scale resource
expenditure, which reconciles the need for knowledge with the constraint of finite resources.
Nevertheless, experts in this field could also reconcile the pursuit of knowledge and the
limited resources involved, by focusing on its specific, targeted research. Often in the human
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sciences, researchers are limited by time, funding, and access to large populations for study.
Shrinking the scope of their research to a few specific, manageably small questions allows
scholars to investigate some aspect of a larger societal issue in depth. By focusing only on key
variables or subtopics, this approach lets them do rigorous analysis without having to invest in
tons of resources and even without all the data. This targeted research strategy in the human
sciences assures that the knowledge is still advanced efficiently and meaningfully while the
researchers are still able to produce impactful results while using the available resources fully. In
economics, a specific example supporting the above claim is the work of Richard Thaler in the
field of behavioral economics, especially his research on mental accounting and loss aversion.
Instead of trying to explain all economic behaviors at the same time, Thaler looked at how
people divide money saved in a tax refund and how they judge the outcome of finished money
earned (Evensky and Guillemette). The experiments with these controlled, smaller sample sizes
involved real-world data and survey methods for this targeted research. By specifically looking
at these elements of decision-making, Thaler was able to challenge the traditional economics
model that suggests people make rational decisions. His focused research has greatly impacted
economic theory while still making efficient use of limited resources, demonstrating that
in-depth, small-scale studies can have big effects, and do not necessitate 'large-scale big studies'.
Conclusion
Finally, it is shown that experts in both natural and human science are able to reconcile the
continually rising need for knowledge with limited resources by utilizing a number of strategic
techniques. In the natural sciences, there are methods such as the scientific method and
collaborative research, which enable researchers to use methods to conserve resources while
keeping meaningful scientific advancements and achieving them in an efficient and meaningful
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way. This includes the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccines and the global integration
on display at Vera C. Rubin Observatory, with how planning and cooperation can work without
exhausting resources. Experts in the human sciences can develop deep insights without having to
collect massive amounts of data through longitudinal studies, for example, and through research
focused on specific, targeted things. Finally, it is shown that these approaches guarantee that
evident progress in the two domains is possible even when under the constraint of scarce
resources where the progress can be maximized in terms of results, teamwork, and narrowing
scope. These approaches allow for increased use of knowledge about the world, while
simultaneously respecting resource and budgetary constraints.
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Works Cited
Bala, Jyoti. "An Overview of Longitudinal Research Designs in Social Sciences." Studies in
Indian Politics 8.1 (2020): 105-114.
Corlett, Eva. The Dunedin study at 50: landmark experiment tracked 1,000 people from birth. 1
April 2022. 6 December 2024.
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/01/the-dunedin-study-at-50-landmark-exp
eriment-tracked-1000-people-from-birth>.
Evensky, Harold and Michael A. Guillemette. How Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler’s Work
Impacts Financial Planning. January 2018. 6 December 2024.
<https://www.financialplanningassociation.org/article/journal/JAN18-how-nobel-laureate
-richard-thalers-work-impacts-financial-planning>.
Gamillo, Elizabeth. ‘It’s going to be awesome’: How the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will survey
space and time. 5 June 2024. 6 December 2024.
<https://www.astronomy.com/science/how-vera-c-rubin-will-survey-space-time/>.
Lewis, L. M., A. V. Badkar and D. Cirelli. "The Race to Develop the Pfizer-BioNTech
COVID-19 Vaccine: From the Pharmaceutical Scientists’ Perspective." Journal of
Pharmaceutical Sciences 112.3 (2023): 640-647.
Popovic, A. K. "Scientific method as the foundation of scientific research." International Review
1.1 (2021): 13-17.
December 29, 2024
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Academic level:
High school
Type of paper:
IB ToK Essay
Discipline:
Natural sciences and the human sciences
Citation:
MLA
Pages:
6 (1600 words)
Spacing:
Double
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
