Tag: philosophy of science
12 quotes
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When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, they are almost certainly right. When they state that something is impossible, they are very probably wrong. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is…
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The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.
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Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.
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At this point, the wiser folks will put away their calculator and return to their order of magnitude estimate in their head, their slide rule, and their abacus as needed. The others will be left to wonder why getting a correct value pays less than…
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All models are wrong; some models are useful.
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There is a sense in which we always move from one world to another incommensurable world. We do pass between worlds as we pass from home to office or to classroom. There are no smooth transitions between them, and we do damage by failing to notice…
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Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.
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Every science must devise its own instruments.
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Monocausotaxophilia : the love of single causes that explain everything
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Traditional scientific method has always been at the very best 20-20 hindsight. It’s good for seeing where you’ve been. It’s good for testing the truth of what you think you know, but it can’t tell you where you ought to go.
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Look around you at all the beauty, complexity, and variety of life. We live in a world of mistakes, governed by chance.
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The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool.