Re: Mechanisms are Needed to Explain Cohen's Data

["Gerald Nicholls" <GNICHOLL@DEP.STATE.NJ.US>]

Technically, Newton did not "postulate" gravity, he simply described in mathematical terms the phenomenon (gravity) that he and previous scientists (Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo) had observed and discribed in a less mathematically simple and rigorous way.



In this sense, he behaved much like those of us who are trying to understand hypotheses like the LNT.  We observe effects and attempt to describe them.  Newton was, in a sense, more fortunate than we are, the system he was describing was a purely physical one with relatively few confounding variables, unlike the biological one in which the LNT hypothesis must be tested. 



To be faithful to history, we should also note that Newton did relatively little "science" as we now understand the term.... most of his time was occupied by theology, alchemy and, in his later life, administrating the British mint.  One wonders what he might have accomplished had he directed his efforts differently. 



Gerald Nicholls

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

609-633-7964



>>> Kai Kaletsch <info@eic.nu> 01/09/02 03:54PM >>>

Gravity was a mechanism that explained a bunch of other phenomena. Therefore postulating gravity is doing science. Are you sure that Newton did not look for a mechanism for gravity itself? If so, he stopped doing science in the field of gravity.

  ----- Original Message ----- 

  From: mark.hogue@SRS.GOV 

  To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu 

  Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 11:44 AM

  Subject: Re: Mechanisms are Needed to Explain Cohen's Data





  By this standard, Isaac Newton did not "do science" when he described and calculated the effects of gravity. However, he could have postulated angels (a hot topic on Radsafe) pulling masses together by flapping their wings, and been a better scientist by this measure. 



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