Re[2]: Elephants vs mice

[Randall_F_Brich@RL.gov]

     Muckerheide wrote: >>Because someone must take some responsibility for 
     correcting falsehood. And Dr. Cohen can't do it alone. Each of us can 
     be part of the solution, or part of the problem.<< 
     
     And, as capable as they apparently are -- Jim and Bernie can't do it 
     alone either...
     
     And, as Richard Feyman stated in 1965, (courtesy of Wade Pattersons 
     March 1997 HPJ paper, "Setting Standards for Radiation Protection: The 
     Process Appraised"):
     
     "In general we look for a new law by the following process.  First we 
     guess it.  Then we compute the consequences of the guess to see what 
would be implied if this law we guessed is right.  Then we compare the result of
the computation with nature, with experiment or experience, compare it directly 
with observation, to see if it works.  If it disagrees with experiment it is 
wrong.  In that simple statement is the key to science. It does not make any 
difference how beautiful your guess is.  It does not make any difference how 
smart you are, who made the guess, or what his name is -- if it disagrees 
with experiment it is wrong.  That is all there is to it ...Another thing I 
must point out is that you cannot prove a vague theory wrong.  If the guess you 
     make is poorly expressed and rather vague, and the method you use for 
figuring out the consequences is a little vague, you are not sure and 
you say, 'I think everything's all right because it's all due to so and 
so, and such and such do this and that more or less, 
and I can sort of explain how this works ...', then you see that this 
theory is good, because it cannot be proved wrong!  Also if the process 
of computing the consequences is indefinite, then with a little skill any 
experimental results can be made to look like the expected consequences." 


Randy Brich, USDOE, Richland, WA 

e-mail: randall_f_brich@rl.gov
"When existence becomes subsistence, resistance becomes nonexistent." RF Brich, 
1997
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Subject: Re: Elephants vs mice
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