Re: supernatural observation and faith def.

Steve Clark (ssclark@facstaff.wisc.edu)
Tue, 01 Oct 1996 14:32:20 -0500

Regardingthe discussion about appealing to the future for evidence to
corroborate theories: it seems to me that this is precisely how science is
done.

I presume that this aspect of science is what kept the likes of Howard
Temin, Barbara McLintock, etc. going in the face of great disbelief. If
they didn't think that they could find naturalistic explanations for the
phenomena they spent many years studying, then they would not have put up
with the resistance they encountered. Of course, McLintock's observation of
"jumping genes" could have been explained by divine intervention, and her
insistence that there was a logical scientific explanation for this
phenomenon could be called "naturalism of the gaps."

I have asked before, with no answer, when should science stop looking for
naturalistic explanations for a given phenomenon?

Steve
__________________________________________________________________________
Steven S. Clark, Ph.D . Phone: 608/263-9137
Associate Professor FAX: 608/263-4226
Dept. of Human Oncology and Email: ssclark@facstaff.wisc.edu
UW Comprehensive Cancer Center
CSC K4-432
600 Highland Ave.
Madison, WI 53792

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to
search out a matter." Proverbs
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