Metaphysics

For years I was perplexed by this term, thinking it was almost equivalent to "alchemy", yet remembering that I'd seen courses offered in it at degree level. Had I stepped onto platform 9.75 by mistake when I'd seen that? Then I looked it up in the dictionary - and discovered to my horror - I was one of those people the scientists had warned me about!!

metaphysics: nsing the branch of philosohy which investigates the first principles of nature and thought [...]

(...from Chambers.) It is apparently only loosely associated with magic etc, I'm glad to say. It got its name from being that part of a book written by an ancient Greek on many subjects, which appeared after the chapter on physics.

This section of the site will deal with my Pandemonium Association Engine (which I can never decide whether I want everyone to know about or not), and my views on the philsophy of science (much of which is also listed in my dinosaur menu, but not the first item below:).


I offer here a unification of evidence and explanation and how they relate to each other; a brief note on how I see hypotheses in terms of both cognitive science and philosophy of science; and an interview with top P. of S.-er Hilary Putnam:

'Investigating the 1st principles of nature & thought'

Leading philosopher of science Elliott Sober investigated in great depth the worth of parsimony, the principle often relied on by some to work out dinosaur family trees. Get a taste of his conclusions here...

Preface from Sober's "Reconstructing the past"


Early in 2001 I outlined on the Society of Vertebrate Paleontolgy emailing list (...though I am not now and never have been a member of SVP) a few issues involved in thinking about dino-bird relationships...

'Why dino theories should be innocent until proved guilty'

That page deals with Popper's ideas, some (no, let's be honest, the most significant from a philosophy of science point of view...) of which are outlined here...

Summary with comments of Popper's "Conjectures & Refutations"

Don't call yourself a scientist unless you're familiar with Popper's ideas. The above page really is an easy way of getting hold of them. The book itself is surprisingly pleasant and easy, but takes thirty times as long to read. Popper has been called the 'patron saint of cladistics' - but he isn't.




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