Does science answer "what is it" questions ?

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The discussion centers on whether science can adequately answer "what is it" questions, particularly regarding fundamental concepts like electric charge, time, space, consciousness, and gravity. It suggests that while science typically focuses on "how" questions, it often relies on precise definitions to address "what" inquiries. However, some questions may be inherently unsatisfactory, as they delve into the essence of concepts that are difficult to define. The conversation highlights that science continually seeks answers, but there are limits to its current understanding, often encountering a "brick wall" at the frontier of knowledge. The playful exchange about the nature of a horse illustrates the complexity and sometimes absurdity of trying to encapsulate the essence of any entity.
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Does science answer "what is it" questions ? Answers that would be something other than the phenomenology associated with it . It being ...whatever...electric charge, time, space, consciousness, gravity etc . Or maybe is it physics that doesn't answer "what is it" kind of questions ?
 
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It depends. There's a way of asking what a thing is such that no answer will suffice.

"What is a horse? I mean, does anyone really know what a horse is? Has anyone really fathomed the essence of horse-ness?"

Substitute any term for horse, and you can see that this is the type of questioner who will not be satisfied by any answer, ever.
 
zoobyshoe said:
What is a horse?

Sorry, can't resist:

Horse is as everyone can see.

(in Polish: Koń, jaki jest, każdy widzi, IMHO better translated as "Horse, how it looks like, everyone sees for himself").

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowe_Ateny
 
Borek said:
"Horse, how it looks like, everyone sees for himself"
Is that straight from the horses mouth? Or the other end?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.
 
Horse is as everyone can see.
Samuel Johnson's English Dictionary isn't much more enlightening:
A neighing quadruped, used in war, and draught and carriage.
 
zoobyshoe said:
"What is a horse?

Blast you, now I'm going to have that silly tune dancing in my head all day:

"http://bussongs.com/songs/a-horse-is-a-horse-mr-ed-tv-show.php"
 
Stop horsing around, y'all.
:biggrin:
 
OP, I'm not sure I understand your question.

In general, science aims to answer "how" questions, and one step to do this is using precise definitions. So "what is it" is usually answered using a definition.
 
Enigman said:
Stop horsing around, y'all.
:biggrin:
Oh, get off yer high horse!
 
  • #10
zoobyshoe said:
"What is a horse?

A horse is a horse, of course of course..
 
  • #13
You can 'why' any subject in science until it hits a brick wall. That brick wall is the frontier of scientific knowledge. Science never 'gives up' on these questions, it just doesn't have any good answers - yet.
 
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