Ok, Geoff, in once sentence, then:
For engineers and the average dude, they are laws; for scientists and explorers of such nature, they are theories.
Simple enough, but few folks recognize that --or in their daily lives are even required to do so.
Thus it can build into a problem of projection of ’high predictability in the given theories’ becoming a dogmatic rule enforcement (human clan nature) that curtails potentials and turns exploration into a circular argument that self limits.
This situation arose when the German teaching methodology (1700’s-1800’s) which was so effective in creating functional engineers, became the gold standard in teaching. To get more people doing good engineering work.
After all, one cannot teach that at the core of each ’law’ is actually a box of squirming worms that USUALLY (ridiculously high odds) swim in a known direction, but that the box of squirming worms MIGHT be a problem.
Nothing would ever get built. And if it was built, it might be dangerous,or dubious in use or human mental reach. And so on. Eg, anyone can walk across a bridge, few can build one.
For the questioners, those reaching for the limits and then looking for the new....to teach them that each law is actually a box of squirming worms that MIGHT have different results, but it is very unlikely that it will happen. To remain suspicious of all facts, in the face of observations that do not fit the laws or facts. To investigate and try and fit, but to not fudge, to not fake, to not force or silence contrary data. To leave room for the new, so it can change the old. Otherwise, we’re all dead with no future.
However, with those who were taught scientific laws (and probably they went in that direction due to their mental orientation -or were never aware of this issue) the new thing or data that does not fit MUST be force fit or killed as it cannot be anything but lies, charlatans, freaks and asshats with agendas and ulterior motives.
Humanity is largely dogmatic due to the need for social and cultural systems to be functional. So unconscious projection of norms is a fact of human life as human groupings go.
Thus the school of engineering fact and law enforcement and then the explorer scientific methodology of ’no such thing as facts or scientific laws’.
Most important take away:
you can build things with scientific laws and facts, but you can’t explore the given difficult new thing with scientific laws or facts being in control of the outcome.
Doing so would just be the church, synagogue, mosque,
temple, or imperial edict ---- with another face.
Exploratory science recognizes this. Engineers and the general public are, for the vast part... not even taught or shown that this critical point even exists.
So we get this violence on forums, in the face of the new or the not yet understood.
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Something I seemed to have forgotten since the Stereophile forum days, that I’m now being reminded of. That you are a twisty cat, who... well..who knows what.