All things that exist have an identity – they are what they are, and are not what they are not. Although this sounds obvious, almost foolishly obvious, it is both the fundamental principle of metaphysics, and the fundamental principle of epistemology: A is A. Separate
Surveying the history of science at a macroscopic level, we find that progress consists of a series of revolutions in understanding, each greatly simplifying the description of the field under study. These revolutions are then followed by decades or centuries of elaboration, discovery of apparent
A class member recently asked me what the difference is between a theory and a law. I believe this is a very common confusion, usually stemming from a popular view that a scientific theory is “just a theory”, implying it is less than likely to