Re: What are "principles" in science?

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

The only time I remember such discussion was in a Nuclear Physics class
(1958/9) using Halliday's Intro. N. P. text (1955).  The students who
had read / been taught about logical positivism said his treatment was
poor.

Summary:  [pp. 4 & 5]

1, Quantities ... are defined as the objective results of certain
prescribed operations .....

2, Physical laws are relationships between operationally defined
quantities that always occur when certain experiments are performed.
etc., etc.

3, It is the role of theory to give, on the basis of as few hypotheses
as possible, a simple description of as many experiments as possible.
-- ultimate truth does not arise.

4, Theories and hypotheses may be replaced at any time by more useful
ones, ...     etc., etc.

bc

Bob LaMontagne wrote:

> After 30 years teaching physics - from high school through
> college level - I can't remember a single class where I
> discussed the difference between theories, laws and
> principles. I'm not attempting to make any claim as to
> whether it's better to mention these things or not - I'm
> simply stating that I haven't.
>
> I'm curious as to how many people do cover these
> differences a part of their approach to physics? - I'm
> assuming that many do, given the length of this thread.
>
> Is it more common to cover this in high school or at the
> college level - or maybe even middle school? I mentioned
> this thread to my colleagues at lunchtime and they were all
> puzzled as to why anyone would take time out of a course to
> discuss this topic - one joked about letting the philosophy
> majors worry about it.
>
> Bob at PC