Re: Challenge to the behaviourists, #1

From: Wolf Kirchmeir (wwolfkir_at_sympatico.ca)
Date: 09/24/04 

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 20:58:17 -0400

Lester Zick wrote:

> On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:19:24 -0400, Wolf Kirchmeir
> <wwolfkir@sympatico.ca> in comp.ai.philosophy wrote:
[...]
>>Since "being viscous" and "possessing viscosity" are merely synonyms for
>>"flowing slowly" (more precsiely, "at a certain rate"), those phrases
>>don't label or refer to any reasons for flowing slowly.
>
> You're an idiot, Wolf. There are lots of reasons for flowing slowly
> not viscosity dependent.

Aw, gee, Lester, I forgot to remidn you that I knew all about them other
things that slow down fluid flow rates, so as usual you stumbled to a
conclusion.

Granted there are many reasons a fluid will flow faster or slower, but
the context of "viscosity" as an explanation slower rates of flow should
make it pretty clear what the reference synonymism means.

Usually a claim that viscosity is the reason for flowing slowly rests on
the slower flow being -oops!- evidence that the liquid has a higher
"viscosity." You know, people say, "Hey, this stuff is flowing slowly,
so it must have higher viscosity." Or they say, "This stuff must have a
higher viscosity becasue it's flowing so slowly." That kind of talk is
kinda like the doctor telling you you have a gastritis 'cuz you have a
tummy ache.

You can skip the next para if you've studied viscosity in school.

Now how is viscosity measured? By measuring the rate of flow at a given
pressure. Two fluids under the same pressure, one flows faster, it has
"lower viscosity," and vice versa (I did study this at one time, you
see.) Or, two fluids, one needs more pressure, the other less, for the
same flow rate, they have different viscosities. And, in some fluids
"viscosity" actually varies with flow rate and/or pressure, and even
with rate of increase in pressure - now that's odd.

IOW, "viscosity" is the measure of "resistance to flow", other things
being equal. But since viscosity is measured by measuring the resistance
to flow, it cannot be an explanation for resistance to flow. Viscosity
is what needs to be explained.

Kapeesh?

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