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To: Physicist
You understand the artist's claim; why are you confused by the scientist's equivalent claim?

Does science tell us the Truth about Reality? If so, why do scientific theories change while Reality doesn't? Anyway, is there such a thing as Reality?

Dobzhansky, I believe.

I used Dobzhansky's quote within the context of Penrose's categrorization of theories, allow me to clarify:

"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." Theodosius Dobzhansky, Geneticist

Roger Penrose put theories in four categories, with examples: *


1,647 posted on 12/31/2002 7:35:58 AM PST by optimistically_conservative
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To: optimistically_conservative
Does science tell us the Truth about Reality? If so, why do scientific theories change while Reality doesn't?

Because a theory, like a portrait, is an approximation. When a better approximation is found, it is adopted. Some maps are better than others.

Anyway, is there such a thing as Reality?

Yes. The fundamental statement of philosophy is, "I am aware that something is there." You cannot have the subjective ("I am aware...") without the objective ("...something is there"). Existence exists.

"No observational discrepancies with that theory are known -- yet its strength goes far beyond this, in the number of hitherto inexplicable phenomena that the theory now explains."

According to this standard, evolution would rank as a "superb" theory.

1,649 posted on 12/31/2002 7:48:01 AM PST by Physicist
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