tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883034.post110206848354383681..comments2024-03-23T23:26:40.813+01:00Comments on atdotde: Chemical substance and just theoriesRoberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634377111195468947noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883034.post-1105732457268258192005-01-14T20:54:00.000+01:002005-01-14T20:54:00.000+01:00The spin statistics theorem isn't really a consequ...The spin statistics theorem isn't really a consequence of the Standard Model as much as it's a consequence of quantum field theory.<br /><br />Cough syrup? "chemical substance"? Are you sure she wasn't refering to DXM?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883034.post-1105447005870012002005-01-11T13:36:00.000+01:002005-01-11T13:36:00.000+01:00To you post:
Oh the irony.
So I agree, a theor...To you post:<br /><br />Oh the irony. <br /><br />So I agree, a theory with support is pretty much the best thing going as far as prediction and explanation go. <br /><br />1st irony:<br />And yet the fundamentalist discount theories as something less than their unsupported faith -- of which they are certain.<br /><br />Also agreed, that science is a social activity and all the standard human politics and social-psychology factors play a role. <br /><br />2nd irony:<br />So here we are the proponents of what the evidence would show is the stronger epistemological position, doubting, if not the foundation of science (evidentiary thinking), then certainly doubting the infallibility of the scientific community. Fundamentalists would just claim certainty and infallibility here. <br /><br />On side note, I occasionally hear people say they wished they had the certainly or faith they see in some fundamentalist. What a scary thought to me, as it would imply I knew nothing of the limits of knowledge and decision-making. It is health and advantageous to be aware of your blindspot. That kind of certainty is something I'm sure Usama Bin Laden has plenty of.<br /><br />To Falsification-Man:<br /><br />I think he (or is it me ;^) misunderstands that Kuhn wasn’t attacking evidentiary thinking, but rather pointing out that scientific process is carried out by quite fallible humans and is subject to the kinds of politics all group decision-making processes face. Then again maybe Falsification-Man is responding to Lumo.Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09139005551525806701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883034.post-1103486596742870982004-12-19T21:03:00.000+01:002004-12-19T21:03:00.000+01:00Wow I don't agree.
Falsification is the central p...Wow I don't agree.<br /><br />Falsification is the central pillar of science. If your theory isn't advanced enough that it cannot make a testable postdiction of some number we understand, and/or is indistinguishable from some other simpler theory, then it is simply not accepted. Nor should it (yet).<br /><br />Moreover, any new theory must make a testable *pre*diction of some new quantity (that we dont understand) that is subsequently verified. 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence'<br /><br />For instance, I would say the standard model makes one central postdiction, and that is the spin statistics theorem. The axioms of field theory simply *must* yield that result. There is no fudge factor that can remove that most basic highly nontrivial truism.<br />I don't need to list the other famous predictions that were subsequently verified.<br /><br />Its interesting to note the SM is still plausibly falsifiable. The remaining piece is the Higgs, nonexistance of that field would be disastrous, but still in principle possible! Hence we are still doing science here, and not babbling about philosophy (which isn't very interesting frankly).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883034.post-1102459447710399762004-12-07T23:44:00.000+01:002004-12-07T23:44:00.000+01:00Right, many people think that the word "theory" me...Right, many people think that the word "theory" means "weird speculation", "chemical substance" means "poison", and Thomas Kuhn and especially some of his followers also think that "falsify something" means to "get enough political influence to force some other people who disagree to surrender". ;-)Luboš Motlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17487263983247488359noreply@blogger.com