On Sunday, February 9, 2014 9:27:38 AM UTC-5, Edgar L. Owen wrote: > > Craig, > > Of course science is supposed to make assumptions. It's done all the time > and rightfully so. > > But those assumptions are then supposed to be tested to see if they are > reasonable. >
I wouldn't call them assumptions, I would call them controls. Generally the term assume implies a tacit expectation rather than one which is intentional and explicit. > > This is done in two ways. One by testing against empirical evidence. Two > by seeing if they are logically consistent with the generally established > theories of science. > > This is just basic scientific method, or one essential aspect of it.... > I agree. That's all that I was calling for - that we test the assumption that "language difference is due to brain difference". Craig > Edgar > > On Saturday, February 8, 2014 11:10:03 PM UTC-5, Craig Weinberg wrote: >> >> >> >> On Saturday, February 8, 2014 8:55:43 PM UTC-5, stathisp wrote: >>> >>> On 8 February 2014 05:03, Craig Weinberg <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > If there were identical triplets, and one of them grew up on the other >>> side >>> > of the world and spoke a different language, while the others grew up >>> in the >>> > same state and spoke the same language, do you think that a >>> neuroscientist >>> > could figure out with certainty which triplet spoke the other language >>> (not >>> > by looking at trace compounds that would identify a geographic region, >>> etc, >>> > but strictly by the vast number of different words and phrases that >>> they >>> > use)? >>> >>> It's an assumption in science that the language difference is due to >>> brain difference. That's not to say that our techniques are at present >>> refined enough to see a difference, but there must be one if language >>> is due to the brain. >>> >> >> I don't think science is supposed to make assumptions. >> >> Craig >> >> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Stathis Papaioannou >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
