Re: True or false: Physics is all about the behavior of ...

From: N:dlzc D:aol T:com \(dlzc\) (net_at_nospam.com)
Date: 01/30/05 

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 08:11:20 -0700

Dear reany:

<reany@asu.edu> wrote in message
news:1107092545.581602.173600@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> True or false: Physics is all about the behavior of inanimate
> physical syst­ems over time.

False. "Inanimate" is not required. Causative relationships (aka
animation) are assumed to be described by physics.

> If true, then

> 1) there is some biology which is not physics

Uninteresting to physics, perhaps.

> 2) metaphysical essences are irrelevant

To science in general, yes.

> 3) behavior is contained in equations, not thing-like models

"Behavior" is strongly based in "thing-like models". Quanitification and
prediction derive from thing-like models and mathematics.

> 4) physical syst­ems are defined conventionally and contain
> at least some visible matter whose behavior is at issue.

As long as you are loose with the words "conventionally", "visible", and
"matter". The knowledge-of-the-day in physics is not conventional wisdom
at the supermarket. What is visible is now less than half the interest of
physics. There are lots of particles of interest that have mass.

Happy Sunday to ye.

David A. Smith

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