Friday, July 26, 2024

Science = Mathematics + Philosophy

Three fundamental principles of scientific research:

  1. Science changes but mathematics doesn’t.
  2. Numbers don’t lie but the data does.
  3. All research objectives ultimately returns to a philosophy.

Firstly, scientific research methodologies varies across domains/contexts and changes over time. Mathematical computations and algorithms stay true to each and every similar scenario.

Secondly, measurements accurately obtained are representative of observations while data representations and interpretations depend on the measurement methods and tools.

Thirdly, a fact exists no matter what happens and science does not prove a fact but rather support the notion that the fact exists. Mathematics is the one to give proof to the fact. Hence all sciences return to the philosophy that is to forget everything else except the ingrained facts.

庄子曰:何为道?道,看不见,听不到,摸不着。道,存在于万物,存在于大自然,存在于宇宙。知道知道,唯有放下,万法自然,方能知晓其道。

武侠小说大师金庸先生就在《倚天屠龙记》写到张三丰传授太极拳予张无忌时,张无忌先是说忘了一半,后说忘了全部。太极源于道,生两仪。两仪包含了阴阳,生四象。阴里有阳,阳里有阴,自然而生,无需去思考。这就是金庸先生留给读者的哲理,不愧也是个哲学大师。

The universal truth may be that there is no universal truth. Ultimately, one just has to stay humble, stay foolish.