{"id":27024,"date":"2017-06-25T15:19:06","date_gmt":"2017-06-25T13:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=27024"},"modified":"2020-09-26T21:55:25","modified_gmt":"2020-09-26T19:55:25","slug":"effective-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/effective-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"Effective Theory"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was reminded of this concept of Effective Theory in an article on Economics by Arnold King. <\/a> Here it is explained by Harvard physicist Lisa Randall:<\/p>\n

\n

Effective theory is a valuable concept when we ask how scientific theories advance, and what we mean when we say something is right or wrong<\/strong>. Newton’s laws work extremely well. They are sufficient to devise the path by which we can send a satellite to the far reaches of the Solar System and to construct a bridge that won’t collapse. Yet we know quantum mechanics and relativity are the deeper underlying theories. Newton’s laws are approximations that work at relatively low speeds and for large macroscopic objects. What’s more is that an effective theory tells us precisely its limitations \u2014 the conditions and values of parameters for which the theory breaks down.<\/strong> The laws of the effective theory succeed until we reach its limitations when these assumptions are no longer true or our measurements or requirements become increasingly precise.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Kind writes:<\/p>\n

\n

Whereas the term “science” often is used to connote absolute truth in an almost religious sense, effective theory is provisional. When we are certain that in a particular context a theory will work, then and only then is the theory effectiv<\/strong>e.<\/p>\n

Effective theory consists of verifiable<\/em> knowledge<\/strong>. To be verifiable, a finding must be arrived at by methods that are generally viewed as robust. Any researcher who tries to replicate a finding using appropriate methods should be able to confirm it. The strongest confirmation of the effectiveness of a theory comes from prediction and control<\/strong>. Lisa Randall’s example of sending a spacecraft to the far reaches of the solar system illustrates such confirmation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was reminded of this concept of Effective Theory in an article on Economics by Arnold King.  Here it is explained by Harvard physicist Lisa Randall: Effective theory is a valuable concept when we ask how scientific theories advance, and what we mean when we say something is right or wrong. Newton’s laws work extremely … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[139,7,11,14,17],"tags":[300,296],"class_list":["post-27024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-critical-thinking","category-language-writing","category-miscellaneous","category-philosophy","category-science","tag-processed","tag-published"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/prY0k-71S","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16934,"url":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/how-to-compose-a-successful-critical-commentary\/","url_meta":{"origin":27024,"position":0},"title":"How to compose a successful critical commentary","author":"Limbic","date":"December 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cIn disputes upon moral or scientific points, let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. 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In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Business Psychology"","block_context":{"text":"Business Psychology","link":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/category\/business\/business-psychology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16301,"url":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/bootleggers-baptists\/","url_meta":{"origin":27024,"position":2},"title":"Bootleggers & Baptists","author":"Limbic","date":"March 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is a theory of regulation that was new to me - Bootleggers and Baptists: \"Here is the essence of the theory: durable social regulation evolves when it is demanded by both of two distinctly different groups. \u201cBaptists\u201d point to the moral high ground and give vital and vocal endorsement\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Law"","block_context":{"text":"Law","link":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/category\/law\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8739,"url":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/the-power-of-networks\/","url_meta":{"origin":27024,"position":3},"title":"The Power of Networks","author":"Limbic","date":"September 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"A new video from the lovely RSA Animate team, this time on the Power of Networks. https:\/\/youtu.be\/nJmGrNdJ5Gw Introduced me to the concept of \"Rhizome\": Gilles Deleuze and F\u00e9lix Guattari use the term \"rhizome\" and \"rhizomatic\" to describe theory and research that allows for multiple, non-hierarchical entry and exit points in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Anthropology"","block_context":{"text":"Anthropology","link":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/category\/science\/anthropology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/nJmGrNdJ5Gw\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16862,"url":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/millers-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":27024,"position":4},"title":"Miller’s Law","author":"Limbic","date":"November 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"From Wikipedia: Miller's law, part of his theory of communication, was formulated by George Miller, Princeton Professor and psychologist. It instructs us to suspend judgment about what someone is saying so we can first understand them without imbuing their message with our own personal interpretations. The law states: \"To understand\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Anthropology"","block_context":{"text":"Anthropology","link":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/category\/science\/anthropology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16868,"url":"https:\/\/www.limbicnutrition.com\/blog\/construal-level-theory\/","url_meta":{"origin":27024,"position":5},"title":"Construal Level Theory","author":"Limbic","date":"November 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"There was a lot of soul searching and anger around the time of the Paris massacre in November 2015 because the Paris massacre got so much attention whereas the Beirut bombing the previous day did not. 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