What is Explanation: Definition and 975 Discussions

An explanation is a set of statements usually constructed to describe a set of facts which clarifies the causes, context, and consequences of those facts. This description may establish rules or laws, and may clarify the existing rules or laws in relation to any objects, or phenomena examined.Explanation, in philosophy, is a set of statements that makes intelligible the existence or occurrence of an object, event, or state of affairs. Among the most common forms of explanation are causal explanation; deductive-nomological explanation, which involves subsuming the explanandum under a generalization from which it may be derived in a deductive argument (e.g., “All gases expand when heated; this gas was heated; therefore, this gas expanded”); and statistical explanation, which involves subsuming the explanandum under a generalization that gives it inductive support (e.g., “Most people who use tobacco contract cancer; this person used tobacco; therefore, this person contracted cancer”). Explanations of human behaviour typically appeal to the subject’s beliefs and desires, as well as other facts about him, and proceed on the assumption that the behaviour in question is rational (at least to a minimum degree). Thus an explanation of why the subject removed his coat might cite the fact that the subject felt hot, that the subject desired to feel cooler, and that the subject believed that he would feel cooler if he took off his coat.

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  1. B

    Why Can't a Uniform External Gravitational Field Raise Tides on Earth?

    One of my homework problems for GR says: "Explain why a uniform external gravitiational field cannot raise tides on the Earth." My explanation is: Because of the large size of the Earth compared to the distance the Earth is from the moon, the nonuniformity of the moon's gravitational...
  2. B

    Magnetic Breakaway Force: Definition & Explanation

    What does the term "magnetic breakaway force" mean?
  3. B

    Explanation of Stokes' Theorem

    Would anyone be willing to explain Stokes' Theorem to me? I have managed to grasp the concepts of grad, div, curl, and what the text calls "green's theorem", but I cannot seem to grasp the geometric meaning of "stokes theorem." I've been trying to put the theorem together based on the...
  4. Ivan Seeking

    Odd Black Hole Defies Explanation : space.com

    "Odd Black Hole Defies Explanation": space.com http://space.com/scienceastronomy/blackhole_medium_040608.html
  5. P

    Did a Pre-Big Bang Species Cause the Big Bang Theory?

    Day-dreaming the other day, I postulated a possible explanation for the controversial Big Bang Theory. Because an object attains infinite mass when it reaches light speed, is it possible that a pre-big bang species reached light speed (or near) and the affected object achieved infinite mass (or...
  6. K

    Gravity's Strength in Galaxies: A Quark-Like Explanation?

    Is gravity so weak because every force mediating boson starts out as a graviton, which then loses energy and becomes gluons,photons W and Z particles. This would mean that the graviton carries colour charge and so dark energy must emit gravitons with colour charge and therefore dark energy...
  7. C

    Why Does Removing the Negative Sign in the Charge Equation Affect the Result?

    Hi all, I'm stuck on this charge equation: Q=Q * e (-t/RC) = 780 * e (-9.8/3.3) I've got 40.03 but the answer is 15200 if I took away the negative sign from the equation then I'll be able to get 15200. but that should not be the way isn't it? can somebody advise me how should I go...
  8. N

    An Earthly Explanation For UFOs?

    http://hessdalen.hiof.no/pictures/
  9. J

    Intuitive explanation of the gravity of a sphere

    Does anyone have an intuitive explanation why the gravitational force of a uniform sphere on a distant point is the same as if all the sphere's mass were concentrated at the center? The usual integration over spherical shells goes through o.k. but the result is so simple it seems to me that...
  10. J

    Intuitive explanation of gravity outside a sphere?

    Does anyone have an intuitive explanation why the gravitational force of a sphere on a distant point is the same as if all the sphere's mass were concentrated at the center? The usual integration over spherical shells goes through o.k. but the result is so simple it seems to me that maybe we...
  11. T

    Explanation on the term calculus maths?

    Could I have an explanation on the term calculus maths? The exact meaning of this is a bit vague to me and in Norway we do not use this name for this type of math, whatever it is. Thank yous
  12. A

    Explanation for the uneducated mind

    This was a Brain teaser question, and i have no idea whatsoever why this is the correct answer. As i said in the thread title an uneducated mind
  13. Dissident Dan

    Why does moving the point of force application increase torque?

    Well, we all know that the farther you move the point of force application from the point of rotation, the greater the torque. But why? I know the equations, but I am lacking a physical explanation of why this is. The best explanation that I've gotten is something along the lines of a...
  14. S

    Question regarding explanation of impossiblity of faster then light travel speed

    I've just gotten around to reading "The Elegant Universe" and it has an explanation of why it is impossible to travel faster then light through the use of Einstein's equation E=mc^2 (pg 52). Greene says that the faster an object moves the more energy it has, and because of Einstein's equation...
  15. S

    Something odd, I need an explanation desperately

    Hello all. I live in Singapore, located somewhere at the equator. Just a few nights ago i spotted something rather strange. I looked up into the sky and to my astonishment, there was this region of clouds that was illuminated orange in colour every once in a while. It's like glowing at a regular...
  16. T

    I need an unambiguous explanation of

    ...the electron. I don't know what it is and I've read dozens of electronics/chemistry books trying to figure it out. I don't want to hear that it's a wave, I don't want to hear that it's a particle and I certainly don't want to hear about the duality of it being a wave-particle. I don't care...
  17. wasteofo2

    Simple contradiction/flaw in many worlds theory/theory explanation.

    As it's simply explained, the many worlds theory states that everything has an infinite amount of possible outcomes and that a new reality is created in which one of each outcome occurs. This process of new reality creation keeps occurring infinately, creating more and more infinite amounts of...
  18. petmar

    Another explanation of that poor, poor cat

    Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle/Schrodinger's Cat Couples engaged in a romantic relationship usually have large amounts of physical contact with one another. However, when someone seems near, physically, to them, they begin acting normally again, even if blushing a bit. We therefore see that...
  19. Kerrie

    Scientific explanation for laughing?

    what triggers laughter? i am speaking of the kind that brings you to tears, makes your belly shake, makes you smile real big...what chemicals are responsible for true laughter? or is it a socially learned response?
  20. P

    Low Frequency Sound & Ghostly Experiences

    http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/09/08/ghosts.sounds.reut/index.html
  21. Pirwzwhomper

    X/0 and a possible explanation of a solution

    First, let me say that I have degrees or anything. I'm just out of hig school and took regular math the whole time I was there. I am not a mathematician or a numerologist. But, I do have a theory.:wink: Could we say that 6/3 is the same as saying "six divided into three equal parts"? If...
  22. M

    Searching for a string explanation

    Can someone please define for me what is meant by string theory and what the significance of it is and why, according to stephen hawkins, it would take 32 dimension to permit the existence of such a phenomenon.
  23. E

    Can we Calculate Prime Factors of x Given Pi(X)?

    yes ins the so called prime-number counting function that is Sum over all the prime numbers less than a given number x of f(x)=1 in fact my calculation is easy got from the formula: S(p)Exp(-sp)=L(Pi(x)) where L is the laplace transform and s(p) means the sum over all primes of the...
  24. E

    Does anybody know the neurological explanation behind insomnia?

    Does anybody know the neurochemical explanation behind insomnia?
  25. S

    How are the three fundamental forces of motion unified?

    I am nearly certain that it has been suggested that three of the four now thought to be fundamental causes of motion have been unified. Excluding gravity, these are : the weak force, the strong force and electromagnetism. Can someone please explain to me what indicates or how it was shown that...
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