They're related, but I would say the first 2 are not the same thing. If I want to know why rust happens, I'm curious about that effect and its mechanism. If I

They're related, but I would say the first 2 are not the same thing. If I want to know why rust happens, I'm curious about that effect and its mechanism. If I think I know why rust happens, and I prove or disprove it, my goal wasn't to learn why it happens, but to prove myself right or wrong. If I'm disproven, I might not even choose to find out the real answer, but just stop. The third thing is most closely related with the second, IMO, and I do have a hard time separating them, though there is more of a scientific bent to the last one.