Recently I came up with a new explanation for the expansion of the universe. Same math and equations (Hubble’s law), but a different explanation. That was regarded by some physicists as complete nonsense. Even more: swearing, derogatory language and so on was my share.
What I was told was: you shouldn’t think about that unless you know the math to describe the current theories and you can spot a mistake or think of something new.
This seemed to me an elitist but incorrect idea of: only mathematicians can think meaningfully and logically. Mathematics is just a symbol system with logical operations, which can also be converted into words.
Any equation in physics can be converted into plain English.
The many questions on your site with the logical answers to them provide ample evidence that logic can easily be expressed in common language, provided that the concepts being discussed are well defined.
It therefore seems to me to be complete nonsense of such physicists to think about, for example, whether or not the BB theory can be correct, should be left to mathematicians. Philosophers and ordinary self-thinking people can also put forward opinions and interesting ideas. Because logical thinking should not be equated with the language of symbols (e.g. mathematics) in which those thoughts are expressed.
Why the fetish math in physics? While an expression like ‘the time began with the BigBang’ is completely meaningless and contains no logic? (no one communicates any comprehensible idea with which we learn something).
Thank you in advance for an understandable and logical answer (without the need for mathematics).
Answer
Dear Martin,
Science is more than math. Mathematics itself is not really science, but it is the language of the natural sciences. A theory does not have to be expressed mathematically at all to be labeled a theory, just think of Darwin’s theory of evolution or Rogers’ theory of the adoption of innovations. Both are very valuable theories. A theory is a set of statements about a phenomenon that must be empirically verifiable. Moreover, a theory is never absolute, but must always be falsifiable. In other words, each theory must be able to be challenged on its predictability and on its power to explain. Mathematicians should know that logic itself cannot be proved. This is the truth of Hume, a philosopher of the seventeenth century. For example, you can never prove that the sun rises in the east, because for that you have to ‘assume’ that every day is the same and that tomorrow will look the same as today or yesterday (ie: 24 hours, night and day, edm). Similar reasoning can be applied to many theories. When can you say that all ravens are black? Not by applying a theory that says ravens are black, because you can’t prove that unless you’ve actually checked all the ravens for their color. Every theory, however mathematically clever it may be put together, is therefore always imperfect. The problem is that many scientists think that only the positivist philosophy of science is the only correct one. Mathematicians and engineers in particular think that because, of course, the world attaches great importance to technology and economics. We’ve all been brought up to believe that math and so-called hard sciences are the only “right” or “good” sciences. Why? Because you can earn a lot of money with it in our society. Still, the positivists should not exaggerate so much, because they cannot explain that much with their mathematical theories. After all, why is there still hunger in the world? Why do people buy Apple computers that are much more expensive than others? These are all phenomena that cannot be explained with mathematics.
Answered by
prof. John Devos
Informatics Industrial Management
http://www.ugent.be
.