Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!crummer@AEROSPACE.ARPA From: crummer@AEROSPACE.ARPA Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Physics, Intuition, and Aesthetics Message-ID: <285@sri-arpa.ARPA> Date: Tue, 18-Jun-85 14:11:22 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.285 Posted: Tue Jun 18 14:11:22 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 23-Jun-85 08:25:10 EDT Lines: 37 From: Charlie Crummer > Received: by sri-unix.ARPA (4.12/4.16) > id AA27073; Sat, 15 Jun 85 00:25:29 pdt > Message-Id: <8506150725.AA27073@sri-unix.ARPA> > Date: Wed, 12-Jun-85 12:59:36 PDT > To: physics@sri-unix > From: augeri%regina.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA (Mike Augeri) > Subject: Re: Aesthetics and intuition in physics > Article-I.D.: <2647@decwrl.UUCP> > lll-crg!brooks writes: > > Give me a break, aesthetics and intuition like beauty are in the the eye > > of the beholder! The bottom line for physical theory is whether or not it > > is in agreement with experimental data, not just one part of it but ALL if it. > I think that lll-crg!brooks passes off aesthetics and intuition a little > too lightly. I think that it is important that the supporting description > of a theory appeal to people's aesthetics and intuition. I think that many > physicists also must feel this way otherwise why would they spend so much > time devising thought experiments to help us visualize the abstract > mathematical descriptions of theories? Further, I think that the person > who formulated the theory must have applied his/her intuition in order to > formulate the theory in the first place. The difficult part is > communicating that intuition to others so that they can understand the > theory. As for aesthetics, it seems to me that the belief that nature > should exhibit symmetry is an admission that aesthetics is important in > formulating our vision of the universe. > Mike Augeri (DEC, Maynard MA, USA) Intuition and aesthetics give rise to hypotheses and agreement with experiment is the bottom line. No agreement, no sale; revise intuition and aesthetic sense. --Charlie