Science has no explanation for electricity, magnetism, and gravity. It can predict their occurrences and measure them, but has no way of explaining what exactly they are. In science, things are exactly what can be measured/determined about them. For example, an electron is a particle with certain mass, charge, spin, and quantization potential properties belonging to a class of particles known as leptons. That is exactly what "they are." To ask for more goes into the realm of philosophy and metaphysics. The latter realm is generally unproductive and unreliable, imho.
In science, things are exactly what can be measured/determined about them.What is blue? No, not the wavelength. The color itself. Exactly what is it?
Go ahead and fiddle with your sliderule, Poindexter. Take all the time you need.
55 - "In science, things are exactly what can be measured/determined about them. For example, an electron is a particle with certain mass, charge, spin, and quantization potential properties belonging to a class of particles known as leptons. That is exactly what "they are." To ask for more goes into the realm of philosophy and metaphysics. The latter realm is generally unproductive and unreliable, imho. " sorry - philosophy and metaphysics are not science. BTW, i heard recently, that they are now postulating that there may be no such thing as an electron, though I can't remember where I heard this, it was in the past several months.
At this point, Cultural Jihad has the best answer to me, however, that doesn't mean it is the final answer, it simply means that we don't know yet. And personally, I feel, that if it is knowable, some day man will know.