Re: [Phys-l] DATA, FACTS, LAWS, THEORIES

[ludwik kowalski <kowalskil@mail.montclair.edu>]

On Oct 18, 2009, at 7:59 PM, John Clement wrote:

> Of course, only things are called laws if they have some general  
> validity
> and applicability.  But the primary requirement to be a law is that  
> it is a
> relationship between variables.  Beyond that there seem to be social  
> and
> political rules that determine which things are called laws.  Newton  
> never
> called his laws "laws".

A relation between the area of a circle and its radius satisfies such  
criterion. But it not a scientific law. The term "relation between  
variables" is much broader than the term "law. "

In fact, I do not consider mathematics to be a science; it is our  
special language. But that is a different topic.

DATA = what is reported
FACTS = validated data
LAWS = generalized facts
THEORIES = explanations of laws and facts

What is wrong with this? The four words are listed alphabetically.

Yes, I know that other meanings are often assigned to each of these  
four concepts. That is not desirable; it often creates confusion.


Ludwik Kowalski, a retired physics teacher
5 Horizon Road, Apt. 2702, Fort Lee, NJ, 07024, USA
Also an amateur journalist.

                                            Food for thought:  
"Absence of proof is not proof of absence."

Updated links  to his selected publications are at:
http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/cf/  ,   http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_opeds.html 
  and  http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/revcom.html