Janet Stemwedel over at Adventures in Science and Ethics has a new post on experiment vs. theory:
Someone makes a comment about hot water making ice cubes faster than cold water. Someone else, familiar with thermodynamics, explains in detail why this cannot be the case. No actual ice cube trays risk harm, since none are ever deployed in resolving the dispute.
I loves me some thermodynamics. But, why not clear some space in the freezer to do a side-by-side comparison of the ice cube tray filled with hot water and that filled with cold water? Doing an experiment certainly doesn't preclude making a confident prediction of the outcome from the theory. And, in the event that the results don't turn out the way you predicted they would, it might help you notice a way that the real system departs from your assumptions about it.
(Sean Carroll's comment to the post is also well worth reading.)
This is a question near to my heart, and I've blogged about the same problem in a physics context. It got some, ah, interesting responses, in the comments and elsewhere.
I do think this reflects a fundamental difference between different branches of physics. There are people for whom a theoretical justification is sufficient, and those for whom theory is never enough, and the experiment is always worthwhile. I'm solidly in the latter camp-- nothing in science is as much fun as finding and confirming experimental results that disagree with theory.
Janet notes that while she is often willing to take theory as proof, her children are never satisfied with that, and always want to do the experiment. So maybe that's the real difference between theorists and experimentalists-- experimentalists are just children at heart.
It would certainly explain a lot of True Lab Stories...
- Log in to post comments
But have you seen theorists argue? I'd argue that this is a sign that they are just as much children as experimentalists ;)
Dave Bacon: possibly you haven't read the "interesting responses" to Chad's post of last year?
I was going to suggest this as a topic for "opposite day" but I couldn't remember if you'd come out firmly on one side or not.
I'm a theoretical material scientist, and an experimental colleague of mine said that experiment is just like theory, except that mother nature gets to do the math--so you know it's right.
Theorists believe that in theory, theory and practice are the same. Experimentalists believe that in practice, theory and practice are different.
Fred: I've heard that formulated as "the difference between theory and practice is that, in theory, there is no difference". :-)
Maybe it's me (I'm a high school science teacher). but I can do the same old experiment or demo over and over and not get bored. I've had a Oersted demo set up on the lecture bench now for a week and a half. I still love to see that needle swing around when I flip on the current. It's cool.
So, yeah, it's "children at heart."
Of course, I like the mathematical explanation, too.
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ABSOLUTE
Post office box 250134
Madison, Wisconsin 53726
Telephone 608-250-2625
ATTENTION: Sientist
For centuries now persons have been curious to discover the means and methods by which it was, historically, that ancient persons moved into place the mighty stones had of the mighty monuments in the southern lands.
What one finds; when going to the Egyptian Site in the middle of the Giza Plain, the Great Pyramid what is in the middle of Egypt, it is comprised of the heaviest stones impossibly moved into place of a conventional push or pull applied to the any of them so to effectively "move" of the any one of them.
When observing the same; one discovers the impossibility of the mighty stones moved, into place, of a conventional means: one discoveries the pyramidal structures constructed of the very great stones what are piled one on top of the another so then to form the whole of the edifice, and the giant rocks are fitted, exactly, together so of an impossibility of a knife blade impossibly inserted between the any one of the giant boulders, exactly, fit together what comprise the mighty structure...but the various question are those what arise and present themselves to the mind; when examining the pyramidal mountain of stones, one is given to ask..."Of what method of the utility could it have been that the mighty stones comparing this edifice could have been moved into place?
Of what method of the use could it have been that these mighty stones comprising this edifice could have been so elevated? Wow could it have been that the mighty stones comprising this mountain of sculpted rocks could have been moved into place of their various positions of an occupancy?...certainly the method of the doing of it must needs imply of some of the most astonishing types of the industrial and commercial techniques, necessarily, made of an use so to be allowed to do of it?"
Certainly it must have been that if the stones of the mighty edifices of the world could not have been moved into place of an conventional means of a use of the "push" or the "pull" applied, directionally, to the giant rocks so to move them into place of an conventional means. Certainly it must have been that if the stones of the mighty edifices of the world could not have been moved into place of an conventional means of a use of the "push" or the "pull" applied, directionally, to the giant rocks so to move them into place of an conventional means, of a certainty then it must have been that if the mighty stones of the mighty edifices of the world were moved into place of an un-conventional means of the non-use of the "push" or the "pull" applied directionally to the giant rocks so to move them into place of an un-conventional means, so then of a an existence of an instantaneous means of the moving of some giant stones had of the giant stone edifices moved into place, necessarily, of an instantaneous means.
If then a an existence of an instantaneous means of the moving of some giant stones had of the giant stone edifices existing in the various places of the world moved into place, necessarily, of an instantaneous means; necessary, than, of an existence of an esotericism of a science and technology as possible to make of an use by which to, instantaneously, do of it.
If it is that the giant rocks having of there symmetry and juxtapositions were moved into place of an un-conventional means of an use of a science and or technology applied made of an use by which to do of it when accomplishable of an un-conventional means; of these means it must needs, also, be be true that there must needs also exist esoterically "that" of an existence of a specialized form of the science and technology what can be applied of an industrial and or manufactorial means of an esoteric applicationalism possible to make of an sue by which to move unconventionally and instantaneously some, physical volume of matter unconventionally and instantaneously moved, physically, between of some dual points of A and b, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, interposed there-between?
Conventional methods of the moving of some massive payload moved between of the dual points of A and B are those made of an sue by which to conventionally move of physical objects distentially moved between of the two places of the "here" and the "there", but when there is the conventional means of the moving of an object moved between of the "here" and the "there" conventionally moved; of these means of hte moving of a massive body a directionalized "push" or a directionalized "pull" is added or subtracted from the body moved so as then to effectively move the massive body between two points, distentially, separated of A and B, but this is the conventional means of the moving of some, physical, body, physically moved between of some dual points, distentially, separated, of dual points A and B.
When there exists "that" of the conventional means of the moving of some, physical, volume of matter distentially moved between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, interposed there-between; then there must needs exist also of a un-conventional means of the moving of some, physical, body moved un-conventionally between some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, interposed there-between; moreover, that the un-conventional means of the motion of some, physical, body of matter, than, implies of an existence of a science, technology and manufactory of it's type possible to make of an use by which to accomplish, un-conventionally, of some physical body of matter instantaneously moved between of some dual point so A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, seperational of dual points A and B is that un-conventional means of the motion of some, physical, volume of matter moved between dual points of A and B wha is to be accomplished of an instantaneous means.
When there exists of the scientific, technological, industrial and manufactorial as well as the conventional means of the moving of some, physical, volume of matter, physically, moved between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, interposed there-between: needful then there must needs exist, esoterically, of a science, technology, industry and manufactory possible to make of an un-conventional means of an use so to allowed un-conventionally to move instantaneously some giant stones moved unconventionally and instantaneously between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, interposed therebetween.
When the conventional methods of science, technology, industry and manufactory are those possible to make of a use of the time's consuming methods of the motion of some, physical, volume of matter non-instantaneously and conventionally moved between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, interposed therebetween; conversely then there must needs also exist "that" of a type of an existing science, technology, industry and manufactory what must have been made of an use by the ancients, in the ancient times, by which to have allowed the ancients allowed to accomplish of the moving of the giant rocks had of the world largest edifices of stone had of it's stone building blocks what must have been moved, into place easily, workably, un-conventionally and instantaneously when accomplished of an scientific, technological, industrial and manufactorial means by which to do of it when having been so accomplished of a non-conventional and of a time's events non-consumational and of an instantaneous means.
The giant stones comprising the stone monuments of the world's largest stone edifices moved into place of an scientifique, technological, industrial, manufactorial, un-conventional and instantaneous means what must have been made of an use in the ancient times made of an use by which to instantaneously or unconventionally move into place the mighty stones, the latter being true when the implication of the mighty stones moved into place of a conventional means that one of a near-impossibly of the mighty stones had of the world's giant stone monuments impossibly moved into place of a conventional means made of an use by which to do of it; moreover, that this is to necessarily imply of an existence of hereto-fore known science, technology, industry and manufactory what must have existed in the ancient times what must have been made of an use in the ancient times so, than, to have been allowed of an un-conventional means of an use so to be allowed to do of it of an, otherwise, unconventional means?
When the conventional methods of science, technology, industry and manufactory are those possible to make of a use of the time's consumational methods made of an use so to be allowed to accomplish of an conventional and non-instantaneous means of the motion of some, physical, volume of matter non-instantaneously and conventionally moved between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically, interposed there-between; conversely then there must needs also exist "that" what is discoverable of an esotericism of an application of science, technology, industry and manufactory possible to make of an use by which to accomplish of an un-conventional means and of an instantaneous means of the motion of some, physical, volume of matter moved instaneously and unconventionally between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance, physically interposed there-between.
To receive an explicable text revealing of the operational and processological means by which it was that the ancients, distentially, moved into place the mighty stones what comprise of the mighty monuments of the world, to receive descriptive and explicative text what reveal and explain as to the intricacy of a process possible to make use of so to be allowed to accomplish of an operational and processological means by which to, physically, move some physical volume of matter unconventionally and instantaneously moved between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated by some, physical, distance physically interposed there-between when so moved of an un-conventional and of an instantaneous mean; to learn more about the working intricacies and the operating mechanisms had of an un-conventional and or instantaneous means of the transport of some, physical, volume of matter, instantaneously transported controllably, workably and un-conventionally between of some dual points of A and B, distentially, separated: send, with our name and address, one hundred dollars, in form of a cashier's check, dispatched by the United States Postal system, and send your request and check as dispatched to that address of:
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ABSOLUTE
Post Office box 260134
Madison, Wiscosnin 53703
and in return you will receive a text, by retur mail what describes and discloses of the scientifique, technological, industrial and manufactorial means possible to make of an un-conventional means of an use so to be allowed to instantaneously do of it.