September 13


I think the scientific process is Guess and Check.

Metaphors are the essence of guessing and I think of
the greatest importance in all of human thinking including
science.

But metaphors have no place in the checking!

The checking does not work if people do not get unique
results when they do mathematics, or if people are messy.

It is VERY important for physical scientists to discuss these
matters with people who ACTUALLY DO EXERPIMENTS
in biology. The plain fact is that it is very very hard to get
reproducible results in biological experiments. Many variables
have to be exactly right (say 100 in a typical physiological
or biophysical experiment) before you can begin to do
something new.

I believe simulations and theory have to be similarly
precise IN THE CHECKING.

The metaphors needs to be in the guessing, not the checking.

The problem here is that human beings do science and humans
are not logical beings at all (thank heaven!)

We all have motivations and complex histories etc that govern
our behaviors. And we have different 'inherent' capabilities (i.e.,
very hard to change after the age of 8 or so).

People who are good at guessing love metaphors and (usually)
hate checking.

People who are good at checking love detail and (usually) hate
metaphors or guessing.

The problem is that science (in my opinion) REQUIRES both
behaviors and thus both types of people.

My attack on metaphors in science should have been more 
carefully stated. I was attacking mixing metaphors with checking.
Metaphors ARE the guesses.

To say it again, in my view BOTH guess and checking are essential
in the scientific process.