Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Explaining explain -Reply





<SCIAMANDA@EDINBORO.EDU> 02/06 11:00 am >>>
Good point, Mark. However this disparaging use of the word "theory"=20
as in "it's ONLY a theory" emphasizes that a theory is a candidate=20
for some absolute and objective truth, but argues that this particular=20
one doesn't (as yet, perhaps) cut it. It implies that there exists, =
and=20
we are searching for, the "true" theory, rather than for more useful =
models. =20
I am concerned with the question of what we claim to be searching for.

-Bob =20
Bob Sciamanda sciamanda@edinboro.edu
Dept of Physics trebor@velocity.net
Edinboro Univ of PA http://www.edinboro.edu/~sciamanda/home.html
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
At the risk of reiterating what's been said so often before, what is going =
on here is the use of the same word by two different languages. What =
"theory" means in scientese is completely different from what it means in =
colloquial English. Our students and much of the general public don't =
understand this distinction--they are not even aware that there are two =
different languages sharing much of the same vocabulary--and thus get into =
tedious and protracted arguments along the lines of "well, evolution is =
just a theory. . . ." Just another example of NR Hanson's rabbit-duck =
dichotomy.


Margaret J. Clarke, O.S.B. =
||
Physics Department C =
|| S
The College of St. Scholastica =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Duluth MN 55811 =
P || B
mclarke@css.edu =
||
=20
"Better than Sister Wendy."