kenmorechalfant t1_j3cbb2v wrote
It seems you are drawing a great connection that's not there. Occam's Razor is only a guide. You almost make it sound like the heliocentric model is just one equally valid viewpoint as the Ptolemaic model but that people just liked it more because it was simpler. I think this fails to see the point entirely. We choose it not because it's simpler, but because it's correct. The relative simplicity is emergent.
NaimKabir OP t1_j3cbv3f wrote
The Ptolemaic model could also be made to be correct, given more complexity.
Kuhn:
"Given a particular discrepancy, astronomers were invariably able to eliminate it by making some particular adjustment in Ptolemy’s system of compounded circles."
It's just that the juice isn't worth the squeeze as models grow more complex, so we switched
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments