Nature - autonomous learning

notes 257teaching (Gregory et al. 2002). Because of space constraints I cannot conveythis diversity and division here.3 This is not to imply that physical geographers never undertake laboratoryexperiments or laboratory analysis of data gathered in the field. They frequentlydo both, but the ultimate aim is to use laboratory study in order to understandthe real environment.4 Though this niche is an important one, physical geographers often feel thatother natural scientists are suspicious about the rigour of their research. Thereis a perception, some physical geographers maintain, that their field is deemeda ‘lesser science’ than, say, physics or chemistry.5 For instance, Thornes and McGregor (2003) make this argument in relation tothe study of climate.6 Though not physical geographers and physical geography thus far, exceptingDemeritt’s work.7 Scientists also frequently ask ‘what?’ questions, relating less to causes andeffects (i.e. explanation) and more to describing the nature of a phenomenathat is little known.8 Haines-Young and Petch (1986: ch. 1) define the terms ‘model’, ‘theory’ and‘law’ in the physical-geography context with greater precision than I can here.9 Rather as Forsyth did in his research in the Himalayas – refer back to thesection ‘Re-presenting nature’ in Chapter 3.10 The term ‘retroduction’ is also used to describe a process of identifying pastevents and processes on the basis of present-day evidence. So-called ‘abduction’is also an important aspect of many physical geographers’ investigations.This is discussed in Box 4.6.11 Feyeraband is often seen as one of the inspirations for SSK.12 These four bodies of thought about how the non-human world operates, whilebeing far from identical, emphasise the non-linearity, unpredictability andirregularity of biophysical phenomena at a number of spatio-temporal scales.13 There are interesting debates in physical geography as to whether the fieldis – or should be – value-free (see, for example, the Annals of the Association ofAmerican Geographers, 1998). In addition, a few physical geographers havecalled for the formal inclusion of ethical arguments in their research – see, forexample, Richards (2003b).