Cabrera Lab Blog

Because, Science

Written by Derek Cabrera, PhD | Sep 8, 2020 10:41:25 AM

Mental models evolve because of the ST-DSRP Loop. That's systems thinking. That's human learning. That's science.

All models are wrong but some are useful (Box).

It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong (Feynman). You must repeatedly test your mental models against reality. Approximation... Information... Iteration...

If you make reality fit to your mental model (like Trump has been doing with COVID), then you are doing confirmation bias. If you make your mental model fit to reality then you are doing science.

Science is synonymous with truth. It is synonymous with what we currently know and don't know. Science is NOT the same as academia, universities, etc. A successful academic is not the same thing as a good scientist.

When the science changes, Science isn't "changing its mind," it's getting incrementally better. Incrementally righter.

When people say there's more than science. Science isn't the only thing that is important. Replace that word science with "facts," "truth," or "what we know and don't know to be true." Here, try it

There's more than what we know and don't know to be true.

What we know and don't know to be true isn't the only thing that is important.

The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking (Einstein). What he meant is that science is something that we do everyday because it is good for all humans (not just scientists) to do science. This is because it is good for our health to be righter than it is to be wronger.

Come out of the Dark Ages. Be a scientist in your thinking. Test your mental models against reality. If they fail, evolve them. 

Please. For the sake of humanity.