Re: [Phys-l] nature of science

["Robert Cohen" <Robert.Cohen@po-box.esu.edu>]

Jack Uretsky asked:
> But, Robert, "common" is your word.  So the question is, what 
> did you mean by it?

Choose from below:

1. When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither
more nor less.

2. You have not asked a physics question so I will not answer it.

3. I meant that at least 50% of my students held the misconception.

____________________________________________________
Robert Cohen, Chair, Department of Physics
East Stroudsburg University; E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301
570-422-3428; www.esu.edu/~bbq 

> On Sun, 19 Mar 2006, Robert Cohen wrote:
>
> > I had suggested that it is common for people think that laws are 
> > theories that have been proven to be true.
> >
> > To which John D. asked:
> > > I would certainly agree that is not true.  Does it even 
> > > rise to the 
> > > level of "common" misconception?
> >
> > I don't know what qualifies as "common" but if I extend 
> > this statement 
> > to be that laws "used to be" theories until they were 
> > either proven or 
> > "accepted" by the scientific community then I'm pretty sure 
> > over 50% 
> > of my students (college; science majors) have this misconception.  
> > (This doesn't include those students who think that a law can be 
> > proven where a theory cannot)