Re: [Phys-L] electricity in the atmosphere

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 02/10/2018 01:45 PM, Ken Caviness wrote:

> Yes, real life is never as simple as our explanations: actual
> history is far more complicated than the textbook presentations, the
> real universe is a lot more complicated than our scientific theories

And that's why we have stepping stones, building
blocks, and spiral paths.  The motto is:
  Start simple and proceed from there
  (not start simple and just leave it there).

> I would not call the streamlined, simplified explanation of the
> scientific method "phony".

Beware, there are about 100 "simplified" versions.
Some of them are OK, but most of them are horribly
and needlessly oversimplified.  More than a few
are phony.  Some of the most prevalent ones are
acutely dangerous.

In particular, David Marx rightly objected to the
"hypothesis-theory-law" business.  It fails coming
and going.  It is not simple, nor true, nor anywhere
close to the path we want students to follow.

For details, see
  https://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm
especially
  https://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#main-rule-law
and
  https://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-poster