[Phys-L] Re: metaphysics

[cparker at CHARTER.NET (cliff parker)]

John I think your point is a good one but I am wondering about its practical
implementation.  I am not sure that talking to a second grader about the
limits to the validity of our model is really such a good idea.  We do need
to move students in that direction eventually however and I don't think we
do a very good job at that.  I primarily teach 12th graders and when my
students walk in the door the first day they view science as a collection of
facts and causes.  The experiences we provide in school and through the mass
media has pounded that into virtually every fiber of their being.  One of
the first things they hear me say and repeat often is that everything they
will learn this year in Physics is wrong, useful but wrong.  When we study
Newton's Law of Gravity my first test question is always "What causes
gravity?" the only acceptable answer is "I don't know" most of them also add
"and neither does anyone else".  These kinds of conversations we can have
with students at a much younger age.

> When I was in second grade, I was told that science was all
> about asking "why ...".
>
> In my experience, however, it is almost never about "why ..."
> and the answer is almost never "because ...", let alone
> "truly because ...."
>
> Instead, the key questions are typically things like:
>  -- What happens?
>  -- How do we know that's what happens?
>  -- What are the limits to the validity of our model?
>  -- How do we reconcile that with the other things we know?

I strongly suspect that even those who completely understand your points on
causality still wonder (at least to themselves) when they encounter a
puzzling observation "why did that happen".  I think this behavior is
hardwired into our brains.  It seems to me that as long as we remember that
in the end science is not about finding correct models but rather finding
useful models, talking about causes or even thinking about them is not such
a bad thing.


Cliff Parker

Never express yourself more clearly than you can think.
Niels Bohr