Re: Theory, Model and Law

From: Arnold Neumaier (Arnold.Neumaier_at_univie.ac.at)
Date: 09/28/04 

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 16:50:36 +0000 (UTC)

DickT wrote:
> Arnold Neumaier <Arnold.Neumaier@univie.ac.at> wrote in message news:<4154417C.2060504@univie.ac.at>...
>
>>...
>>A correct theory cannot be falsifiable, in spite of Popper.
>>
>>What happens with good theories is, at worst, that their region of
>>validity or accuracy gets restricted as new data about more remote
>>instances come in.
>>
>
> This seems to award the accolade "correct" to theories that only agree
> with nature in places, good in the same sense as the curate's egg.

Indeed. All civil engineers and mechanical engineers fare very well
with using Newton's theory.
Since Newton's theory predicts that, within engineering accuracy,
a number has a certain value, and upon measuring, it has that value,
it is a correct theory.

If newton's theory were not a correct theory with a very large domain of
applicability, it would no longer be taught at universities. But in fact
it is taught to many, many more students than Einstein's!

Einstein's more comprehensive theory just lets us calculate the
accuracy to which we can expect Newton's older theory to hold true.
In most cases, it is far beyond the accuracy to which things are
measured. In some cases (GPS, or very high speed devices), there are
measurable differences - this simply limits (but not severely)
the context within which Newton's theory is valid.

Arnold Neumaier

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