merchimerch (
merchimerch) wrote2006-08-24 08:09 am
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Pluto is no longer a planet!
The high priests of science have spoken and are revoking the title of planet from poor little Pluto! This month we've had a world of possibilities in what kids will grow up learning in their science textbooks. I was rooting for the 12 planet system, but it was not to be.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5282440.stm
It makes me giggle when hard sciences illustrate the issues of representation and naming as well as how relative "truth" is.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5282440.stm
It makes me giggle when hard sciences illustrate the issues of representation and naming as well as how relative "truth" is.
no subject
no subject
And what does the linguistic nature of naming have to do with the empirical question of truth?
The questions 'is it a duck?' and 'shall we call it a duck?' are very different, and I cannot imagine a scientist being confused about it - not being confused about it is the very point of science, and quite specifically what distinguishes it from magic.
This 'common perception' is very alien to me.
Though - I did once get into trouble with an (extrmely stupid and very poorly educated) religion teacher because she said that it says in the Bible that a whale is a fish, and was astonishingly offended when I pointed out to her that the Bible says nothing at all in English. Perhaps such people are 'common' in your environment! :)