--- "Dr. Keith S. Taber" <kst24@...> wrote:

> One view of what science does is observe regularities in nature and
> create ways of describing those patterns by constructing categories
> and concepts for (a) organizing sense (and professionally obtained)
> data and so (b) making predictions allowing us to act in the world
in
> 'meaningful' ways.


In some cases it seems science does just the opposite - constructs
inconsistent categories and concepts so that everybody gets confused
and only selected gurus can show the way in the jungle. There are 7-8
traditional second laws of thermodynamics, an indefinite number of
less traditional and also an indefinite number of entropies. Teachers
choose their favorite versions, rarely mention other versions and,
when acting as referees, reject any paper trying to establish some
subordination between the numerous concepts with the same name. On
the other side students learn by rote.

Pentcho Valev