“It is difficult even to attach a precise meaning to the term "scientific truth." So different is the meaning of the word "truth" according to whether we are dealing with a fact of experience, a mathematical proposition or a scientific theory. "Religious truth" conveys nothing clear to me at all.” DifferentFactsScienceDifficultTermReligiousClearTheoryMathematicalPrecisePropositionsScientific TheoryScientific TruthReligious Truth Book:Essays in Science Source: Essays in Science
“The problem of physics is how the actual phenomena, as observed with the help of our sense organs aided by instruments, can be reduced to simple notions which are suited for precise measurement and used of the formulation of quantitative laws. Experiment and Theory in Physics” HelpingProblemLawUsedSimpleTheoryInstrumentsNotionPhysicsExperimentsOrgansPreciseMeasurement Author:Max Born
“Why should we, however, in economics, have to plead ignorance of the sort of facts on which, in the case of a physical theory, a scientist would certainly be expected to give precise information?” GivingShouldFactsCasesInformationIgnoranceTheoryEconomicsScientistExpectedPrecise Author:Friedrich August von Hayek
“Precisely constructed models for linguistic structure can play an important role, both negative and positive, in the process of discovery itself. By pushing a precise but inadequate formulation to an unacceptable conclusion, we can often expose the exact source of this inadequacy and, consequently, gain a deep understanding of the linguistic data. More positively, a formalized theory may automatically provide solutions for many problems other than those for which it was explicitly designed.” MayImportantPlayProblemProcessUnderstandingRolesTheorySourceModelsSolutionsDiscoveryGainsNegativeStructureConclusionDataPushingPrecisePositivelyInadequateInadequacyDeep UnderstandingNegative And Positive Book:Syntactic Structures Source: Syntactic Structures
“Evolution ... is really two theories, the vague theory and the precise theory. The vague theory has been abundantly proved.... The precise theory has never been proved at all. However, like relativity, it is accepted on faith.... On getting down to actual details, difficulties begin.” Has BeensTwoScienceTheoryEvolutionDifficultyDetailsAcceptedVaguePreciseRelativity Author:Anthony Standen
“We were an ill-matched pair, my husband and I, from the very outset; he, with very high ideas of a husband's authority and a wife's submission, holding strongly to the 'master-in-my-own-house theory,' thinking much of the details of home arrangements, precise, methodical, easily angered and with difficulty appeased.” ThinkingIdeasHomeHouseMy OwnWifeMastersTheoryHusbandAuthorityDifficultyIllDetailsPairsMy HusbandArrangementsPreciseSubmissionMatchedMethodical Book:Annie Besant: An Autobiography Source: Annie Besant: An Autobiography