No one else comes to mind except Galileo Galilei when it comes to the role of the father of modern-day science. His work was in so many fields that we sometimes lost count of the number of inventions he created. Instead of going through all his research works, I'll let GPT3.5 give us an overview of his work.

Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist, mathematician, and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of science during the 16th and 17th centuries. Some of his notable works are:

1. Telescope Inventions: Galileo made a significant contribution to the development of telescopes. He designed and built telescopes, which he used to observe the heavens. He was the first person to observe the craters and mountains on the moon, the phases of Venus, and the four largest moons of Jupiter, which are now known as the Galilean moons. 2. Laws of Motion: Galileo was one of the pioneers of the laws of motion. He discovered that objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. He also discovered that the velocity of an object is proportional to the force applied to it. 3. Thermometer: Galileo invented a thermometer that used the expansion and contraction of air to measure temperature. This thermometer was the first to use a quantitative scale and was used in scientific experiments for many years. 4. Pendulum: Galileo discovered that the period of a pendulum, the time it takes to complete one swing, is independent of the amplitude of its swing. This discovery led to the development of accurate timekeeping devices, such as pendulum clocks. 5. Heliocentric Model: Galileo supported the heliocentric model of the solar system, which was proposed by Copernicus. This model places the sun at the center of the solar system, with the planets orbiting around it. This was a significant departure from the prevailing geocentric model, which placed the earth at the center of the solar system.

In conclusion, Galileo Galilei's contributions to science were numerous and significant. He helped to transform our understanding of the universe and paved the way for many scientific discoveries that followed.

The swinging metallic ball that goes tocking in our room was actually invented by Galileo. And the item that was used during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic was invented by him too — the thermometer. We surely owe all our modern sciences to this man.

Now, let us go into the main discussion about applying the philosophy of science to data science.

In this discussion, I will attempt to explore Galileo's argument on reproducibility. Quoting from his attack on Grassi for relying on books rather than experiments:

"If [Grassi] wants me to believe that the Babylonians cooked their eggs by whirling them in slings, … I reason as follows: If we do not achieve an effect which others formerly achieved, then it must be that in our operations we lack something that produced their success. And if there is just one single thing we lack, then that alone can be the true cause. Now we do not lack eggs, nor slings, nor sturdy fellows to whirl them; yet our eggs do not cook, but merely cool down faster if they happen to be hot. And since nothing is lacking to us except being Babylonians, then being Babylonians is the cause of the hardening of eggs, and not friction of the air. … Is it possible that [Grassi] has never observed the coolness produced on his face by the continual change of air when he is riding post? If he has, then how can he prefer to believe things related by other men as having happened two thousand years ago in Babylon rather than present events which he himself experiences?"

Galileo argued that whirling eggs in slings was not the way to cook the eggs. This was what the Babylonians believed in. And Grassi believed in it too. Galileo plainly argued that to believe in something Grassi needed to try — or experiment — it.

For example, coming back to the scenario where the green apple was picked on the twentieth round when red apples were picked throughout all first nineteen rounds. Someone who adopts Grassi's argument would believe that the demand for red apples remained much higher than the green apples throughout all days. There was no need to test this proposition. This person had observed this trend in the past and it would likely happen again. In fact, he might even write a book about it. All these conjectures and propositions came about because he observed what had happened. However, someone who adopts Galileo's argument would believe that this should not be the case. He would suggest a test to validate the proposition. And this test is what we call the Hypothesis Testing.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Grassi's argument was wrong. He observed maggots rose out of eggs laid by flies instead of rotting meat. His observation was valid and given enough time, there was no doubt that maggots would surely rise from eggs laid by flies. However, his argument centered around pure observation of nature. And just as Philodemus had argued, have we yet observed maggots NOT arising from other things except eggs laid by flies? (contrapositive) Perhaps maggots do not rise from worms?

But Aristotle's argument comes into the picture when we observe 0% probability whereby chance has a greater role in explaining maggots rising from eggs laid by flies. And by that, we observe Mother Nature.

Again, this is just the starter to the five-course meal I'm going to give you.

One of my favourite arguments made by Galileo is this:

If we do not achieve an effect which others formerly achieved, then it must be that in our operations we lack something that produced their success. And if there is just one single thing we lack, then that alone can be the true cause.

Let's say you replicate my example in picking the apples from the basket of apples in the supermarket. However, you found out that you picked 10 red apples in the first 10 rounds, and 10 green apples in the next 10 rounds. In total, there were 20 rounds. You were not able to replicate my example of picking only one green apple in the twentieth round and 19 red apples in the first nineteen rounds. Galileo's argument was that since no one could achieve what other people achieved, there were some things that were lacking. This lack could be the true cause. If the supermarket you were in is thousands of miles away from mine in a rural district, then obviously the difference in the supermarket (and demand around the neighborhood) was different. This alone is enough to explain the true cause of the effect of picking the green apple on the twentieth round.

In data science, we need to approach the business problem with some form of observation. At times, we may just listen and accept what other people say. And take the data as it is. We need to go beyond pure hearsay and beliefs and do our due diligence in finding out whether what we believe holds against the evidence on hand.

Galileo's argument on experience and observation gave him the upper hand in developing varied aspects of science. It is no wonder that he is called the father of modern-day science.

Daniel started off his career as a senior list researcher with a British publishing firm. Back then, his role involved contact sourcing through the internet and performed data entry into the Microsoft Dynamic CRM system. (Microsoft Dynamic CRM 3.0) Progressively, he explored the option of using Visual Basic scripting within excel to automate the contact sourcing process.

He successfully developed and implemented the scripts, leading to 95% increase in data entry efficiency. He then moved on to take on the role of a CRM executive with Fuji Xerox Singapore.

As a CRM executive, he liaised with third party vendor for technical enhancement of the CRM system (Microsoft Dynamic CRM 4.0 and 365). He also performs functional enhancement of the CRM system for hundreds of end users.

His notable achievement was the development of the CRM boy that led to 98% improvement in data quality and data integrity in the CRM system. Following his Masters studies in Consumer Insight with Nanyang Business School, he took on the role of an Analytics instructor with Singapore Management University. He prepared class notes and technical walkthrough, and taught Analytics to the undergraduate students from various disciplines. Subsequently, he took on various roles as consultants in the consultancy, manufacturing and information technology industries in Singapore.

He travelled to Paris, London, Sri Lanka, Japan and Malaysia to fulfill his role as a consultant. The cultural and professional exchanges between local and overseas data analytics had given him a very good overview of the expectations and motivations from people around the world. He also had a chance to relocate to the United States for one year, particularly focusing on Operations Management.

Prior to his current freelance status, he took on the role of the Data Science Lead in a Singaporean software company. His primary role was to develop Artificial Intelligence using logic, data science and machine learning techniques through in-depth, full-stacked scripting. He also developed customized Reporting for his customers. In his point of view, 95% of today's reporting can be automated, which can free up staff from daily manual work.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing (BSc. Marketing Pass with Merit) from Singapore University of Social Sciences (in which he graduated as a Valedictorian), a Master of Science in Marketing and Consumer Insights (MSc. Marketing and Consumer Insights) from Nanyang Technological University, a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Swiss School of Business and Management.

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