Re: Explaining explain

["Bob Sciamanda" <trebor@velocity.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Donald E. Simanek <dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu>
To: phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu <phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu>
Cc: phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu <phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu>; JLU@hep.anl.gov
<JLU@hep.anl.gov>
Date: Saturday, January 31, 1998 11:12 AM
Subject: Re: Explaining explain


> . . .
                                  . . .   "truth" is a troublesome word we
> can quite well do without when we talk about science. We should ban it
> from any statements about science. . . .
> -- Donald Simanek


I would also drop the word "theory" in favor of the word "model".  The word
theory connotes a candidate for some absolute, objective "truth"; whereas a
model is used to convey useful information without the pretense of being
unique, complete or ultimate - in physics it is a useful way of describing
reality in human terms.  This is the burden of paper of mine in Nov/Dec 1996
Quantum.  It is reproduced @ http://www.edinboro.edu/~sciamanda/prelude.html

-Bob

Bob Sciamanda   sciamanda@edinboro.edu
Dept of Physics   trebor@velocity.net
Edinboro Univ of PA  http://www.edinboro.edu/~sciamanda/home.html
Edinboro, PA   (814)838-7185

"Fourier is a mathematical poem."- Thomson, [Lord Kelvin] William
(1824-1907)