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What is science other than a set of theories? My quibble here is mainly definitional- I think there could be a world where engineering is post-theory; i.e. wher

What is science other than a set of theories? My quibble here is mainly definitional- I think there could be a world where engineering is post-theory; i.e. where most problems are solved by ai without anyone understanding how. Science though, is about developing an understanding of a phenomena, and science prescribes that proof of understanding should be codified into testable theories. Also if theory is dead why are the scientists they interview in this piece obsessed with generating new theory... https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe2629 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe2629

jmeister 5y ago
Andrew Gelman has a great essay reviewing a paper that discusses this in the context of Covid: >Greenhalgh’s message is not that we need theory without evidence, or evidence without theory. Her message, informed by what seems to me is a very reasonable reading of the history and philosophy of science, is that theories (“mental models”) are in most cases necessary, and we should recognize them as such. We should use evidence where it is available, without acting as if our evidence, positive or negative, is stronger than it is. https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2021/10/22/how-did-the-international-public-health-establishment-fail-us-on-covid-by-explicitly-privileging-the-bricks-of-rct-evidence-over-the-odd-shaped-dry-stones-of-mechanistic-evidence/ https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2021/10/22/how-did-th...