Subject: Re: CCL:orbitals

From: "Irene Newhouse" <einew^at^hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 01 Jun 2003 12:22:19 -1000

Dr. N. Sukumar wrote:

"Problems arise when axioms are confused for facts. Replacement of one set 
of fundamental axioms (as for example, the centrality of the earth) for 
another often leads to a major paradigm shift
in science."

Hear, hear!  I was fortunate to have a chemistry teacher in high school who, 
galvanized by some of the debates about evolution that took place & are 
still taking place, made sure we understood the difference between facts & 
theories.  He also discussed the pitfalls of becoming so attached to your 
theories you fail to discard them when they're no longer useful, the 
necessity for falsifiabilty & the difference between being a scientist using 
a theory & a private individual concerned about 'absolute truth'.

Unfortunately, a teacher with his level of awareness is all too rare [and he 
was fired at mid-term for smoking marijuana & replaced by a teacher who 
didn't, but also didn't remember the concept of d orbitals but kept the job 
for 20 or more years] & most people who graduate high school don't have much 
of a clue as to the nature of science.  Which fuels some of the sillier 
controversies that exercise the public.

Irene Newhouse

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