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That seems to be an overly reductive view on the value of knowledge. What practical purpose does studying ancient civilizations have? Why do we send expensive
by The_Colonel 2y ago
That seems to be an overly reductive view on the value of knowledge.
What practical purpose does studying ancient civilizations have? Why do we send expensive telescopes into space to study faraway galaxies and try to uncover mysteries of the big bang? When can we expect the results from number theory to lower the price of gas at the pump?
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- andrewla 2y agoBut the definition of a word is not knowledge. Knowing that mitochondria have their own DNA is knowledge. Knowing that they reproduce independently of their home cell is knowledge. Learning whether they evolved from a separate viable organism would be knowledge. Learning whether we can make them viable, or breed them separately, and use them in therapies -- all knowledge. Whether they are "alive" or not is just the definition of a word.
- dekhn 2y agoMuch of science is about defining words in ways that match the underlying general structure of the system being studied. A subset of scientists want to come up with an operational definition of "What is life", which may or may not include things like viruses and mitochondria. As you say, it's mostly definitional, but by defining this, we can potentially make our understanding match up with the latent reality.