Ingvar SantrySep 23

Why All Theories Are Incomplete, But Not All Are Equally Wrong.

Inspired by a newsletter [https://www.densediscovery.com/], I'm sharing Isaac Asimov's 1988 essay “The Relativity of Wrong” [https://hermiene.net/essays-trans/relativity_of_wrong.html]. Its ideas feel incredibly relevant today! I'll paraphrase his core arguments.
#ScienceCommunication #IsaacAsimov #RelativityOfWrong #PhilosophyOfScience

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Show threadIngvar SantrySep 23
A student criticized scientific arrogance to Asimov: every generation is wrong, so our knowledge is as flawed as flat-Earth theory. Asimov disagreed: “When people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong, too. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking it is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.” #ScientificThought #KnowledgeEvolution #CriticalThinking
Show threadIngvar SantrySep 23
Asimov illustrates with spelling: Alice spells 'sugar' as pqzzf, Genevieve as shuger. Both are wrong, but Alice is 'wronger.' Spelling it as sucrose or C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ is also 'wrong' but shows deeper knowledge. It's about degrees of wrongness. #AsimovExamples #Spelling #DegreesOfWrong
Show threadIngvar SantrySep 23
The same logic applies in mathematics: “2 + 2 = an integer.” Right. “2 + 2 = an even integer.” Even righter. “2 + 2 = 3.999” Almost right! Asimov shows that precision matters, and some answers are closer to truth than others, even if not perfectly exact. #Mathematics #Accuracy #Approximation
Show threadIngvar Santry
Flat Earth theory was a reasonable observation for its time but is "wrong enough to be discarded in favor of the spherical Earth theory." Asimov highlights the distinction between explainable inaccuracy (historical flat-Earth) and simple delusion (modern flat-Earthism). Modern flat-Earthism is a regression. #FlatEarth #ScienceHistory #DelusionVsInaccuracy #ScientificProgress
Sep 23 at 2:45pmn8n
Show threadIngvar SantrySep 23
“What actually happens is this: once scientists master a good concept, they gradually refine and expand it with ever greater subtlety as measurement instruments improve. Theories are not so much wrong as incomplete.” #ScientificMethod #TheoryEvolution #ContinuousImprovement #IncompleteNotWrong
Show threadIngvar SantrySep 23
I'll remember Asimov's concept: most disagreements stem from differing degrees of incompleteness, not absolute truth vs. falsehood. This doesn't negate that some theories are more accurate; it guides us closer to truth. #AsimovsWisdom #Disagreement #SeekingTruth #Philosophy