RE: "mind set"

["Bradshaw, Keith" <Keith.Bradshaw@nnc.co.uk>]

> Keith wrote:
> 
> > I'm actually agreeing with Jim on this.  The late Isaac Asimov wrote
> > an article on this.  When you  look at the history of science it's
> > unfortunately the case that the old generation has to die off before a
> > fundamental shift of mindset occurs within a scientific discipline.
> 
> I'm not familiar with this article, but would like to see it - do you have
> a
> reference? 
> 
	No, as usual I've forgotten.  It's in one of Asimov's volumes of
popular science articles.

>  Is there by any chance an e-version somewhere?
> 
	Doubt it.  I can't look because our web access is down for the next
week or so.

>   I usually think,
> for example, of spontaneous generation theory.  Pasteur very effectively
> debunked this, in controlled experiments (which are much harder of course
> in
> the LNT case), and changed the mind of the scientific establishment
> quickly.
> There were still hangers-on to the old theory into the early 1900's, but
> the
> grand majority (of which Ruth would clearly be a member!), to my
> understanding, accepted the obvious.  That's why I'm more of an optimist
> that in science truth will always prevail, and I don't think that a whole
> generation has to die out before good theories replace the bad, once the
> evidence is there.  Perhaps before every single proponent of the bad
> theories shuts up, but not before the prevailing "mind set" changes.
> 
	You're probably right.  I believe that Kelvin refused to accept
radioactivity and the true age of the earth.  The ancient Greeks knew the
world was round, correctly determined its diameter as 8000 miles and also
came up with a reasonable estimate of the earth-moon distance.  None of this
was accepted until MUCH later.  In Asimov's article there were many examples
of pig-headed famous scientists who held on to outdated theories in the face
of all reason.  But science as a whole DOES move on nevertheless, and that
was the point of the article, as I remember it.


> > > > <snip> I would only add that, when presented with sound
> > > > evidence contrary to a previously held belief, a scientist will
> "change
> > > > his or her mind" pretty fast.
> > > > Ruth Weiner
> > > > ruth_weiner@msn.com
> > >
> > > Right! Like the LNT!?  HAHAHaHahahahaheehee
> > > Keep 'em coming! :-)
> > > Mike almost got his out with a straight face too!?
> > > Too much mirth in one afternoon.  :-)
> > > by Jim Muckerheide <jmuckerheide@delphi.com>
> 
> 
> 
> Michael Stabin
> Departamento de Energia Nuclear/UFPE
> Av. Prof. Luiz Freire, 1000 - Cidade Universitaria
> CEP 50740 - 540
> Recife - PE
> Brazil
> Phone 55-81-271-8251 or 8252 or 8253
> Fax  55-81-271-8250
> E-mail stabin@npd.ufpe.br
> 
> "Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of"
> - Steven Wright
> 
> 
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