Discovery and Justification

[BaalChatzaf]

The thread on intuition brought to mind aspects of science and mathematics that are not always discussed thorough. There are two major aspects of doing science (and math). One is -discovery-. Discovery is the process of teasing out general laws from specific instances (induction) or inferring causes from specific events (abduction). Our intuition plays a major role in the process of discovery. Very often discovery happens in a non-verbal way, boiling up from subconscious brain work. Example: the discovery of the benzine ring was the result of a dream or fugue state involving snakes swallowing each other by the tail. This happens quite often in mathematics. The process of figuring what is true (relative to the postulates of a theory) is often a non-linear non-logical process involving images and analogies.

Then there is the matter of justification. Justification is the processes of testing the laws derived inductively or the causes discovered by abduction. This involves -deducing- predictions from the hypothesized laws and cause and designing experiments to see if these predictions are upheld or refuted empirically.

The two aspects, discovery and justification both involve intuitive processes. Expermimental design and strategy is often a "right brain" excercise, rather than a linear derivation from basic principles.

This tag team match between discovery and justification requires creativity at least of the same order that is seen in artists and poets.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Selene]

Ba'al:

Interesting post.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abductive_reasoning

My question to you regards your last sentence:

"This tag team match between discovery and justification requires creativity at least of the same order that is seen in artists and poets."

You have a fine mind, do not scientists exercise the same right-left mental resolution to create, as do artists and poets, and "lions and tigers and bears", "Oh my!".

Was Roebling left or right brained when he "saw" the most beautiful bridge ever built and built it?

Was Buckminster Fuller left or right brained when he designed and created the geodesic dome?

Adam

[Paul Mawdsley]

This tag team match between discovery and justification requires creativity at least of the same order that is seen in artists and poets.

Scientists and philosophers are just artists and poets who take their images too seriously and try to paint the world literally.

Paul

[Selene]

Paul:

Really?

How so?

Out of curiosity how do you get to that statement?

Adam

[Ellen Stuttle]

Scientists and philosophers are just artists and poets who take their images too seriously and try to paint the world literally.

Paul

LOL. That is eminently quotable -- even though I don't think it's comparably accurate.

Ellen

___

[Paul Mawdsley]

Paul:

Really?

How so?

Out of curiosity how do you get to that statement?

Adam

With a sense of humour.

[Selene]

Paul:

Cute answer, but as one of my favorite quotes from Braveheart stated clearly by the Irishman who came to join the Scots, so that he could kill "Englshmen"...

"...answer the fukin question!".

Adam

[Paul Mawdsley]

"...answer the fukin question!".

Adam

A joke explained is not funny. If you really want a more specific answer, you might try to make the question less vague. What specifically in what I said makes you inquire?

Paul