transscientific

Transscientific refers to questions that can be framed in the language of science but cannot be answered by the methods of science. These questions often arise in areas where scientific knowledge reaches its limits or intersects with ethical, philosophical, or societal concerns. The term was popularized by Alvin Weinberg in the 1970s as a way to distinguish between problems that science could, in principle, solve, and those that it could not, regardless of technological advancement.

Examples of transscientific questions include debates about the acceptable level of risk from technological development, the long-term consequences of environmental change, or the ethical implications of genetic engineering. While scientific data and models can inform discussions about these issues, they cannot definitively dictate what is "right" or "best" in a normative sense. The answers to transscientific questions typically depend on societal values, political consensus, and ethical judgments, rather than empirical verification alone. Understanding the nature of transscientific questions is important for guiding research priorities and for engaging in productive public discourse about complex issues that involve both scientific and non-scientific considerations.