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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