Gravity in a Nutshell is too chatty, would like something else

[vanhees71]

I see, so each science has its dead bodies in the basement ;-)). Anyway, math can be very weird, particularly in view of Goedel's results, which has killed Hilbert's hope for a fully self-consistent axiomatic approach in the sense that you cannot prove the consistency of any sufficiently interesting axiomatic system within this system itself.

 

[Demystifier]

I see, so each science has its dead bodies in the basement ;-)).

Yes, except that I would put it differently. I would say than any science XYZ has questions about XYZ which cannot be answered within XYZ, leading to a need for philosophy of XYZ.

 

[vanhees71]

Hm, but than it's not science anymore. A real paradox, after all!

 

[Demystifier]

Hm, but than it's not science anymore. A real paradox, after all!

The real paradox is that there is no strict boundary between science and philosophy, yet most scientists think they know exactly where the boundary is.

 

[martinbn]

The real paradox is that there is no strict boundary between science and philosophy, yet most scientists think they now exactly where the boundary is.

Many, if not most, would say that the boundary is precisely where the boundary of their interests is. If they are doing it, it is real science, if they are not interested, then it is useless philosphy.

 

[vanhees71]

The real paradox is that there is no strict boundary between science and philosophy, yet most scientists think they know exactly where the boundary is.

I don't know it, but I clearly feel when science becomes philosophical, when I see it ;-)).

 

[vanhees71]

Many, if not most, would say that the boundary is precisely where the boundary of their interests is. If they are doing it, it is real science, if they are not interested, then it is useless philosphy.

Or the other way: Philosophers often are interested in philosophy only and don't care about the science. What I dislike is that nevertheless they make "philosophy of science" about the science they are not intersted in! SCNR.