Scientific Theories

In science, a theory is a reasonable explanation of observed events that

are related. A theory often involves an      imaginary model that helps

scientists picture the way an observed event could be produced. A good

example of this    is found in the kinetic molecular theory, in which gases

are pictured as being made up of many small particles that are in constant

motion.

A useful theory, in addition to explaining past observations, helps to

predict events that have not as yet been    observed. After a theory has been

publicized, scientists design experiments to test  the theory. If

observations        confirm the scientists' predictions,  the theory is 

supported. If observations do not confirm the predictions, the      scientists

must search further. There may be a fault in the experiment, or the theory

may have to be revised or      rejected.

Science involves imagination and  creative thinking  as well as collecting 

information and performing experiments.    Facts by themselves are not

science. As the mathematician Jules Henri Poincare said,"Science is built

with facts   just as a house is built with bricks, but a collection of facts 

cannot  be  called science any more than a pile  of bricks  can  be called 

a house." Most scientists start an investigation by finding out what other

scientists have learned about a particular problem. After known facts have

been gathered, the scientist comes to the part of the investigation that

requires      considerable imagination. Possible solutions to the problem are

formulated. These possible solutions are called hypotheses.

In a way, any hypothesis is a leap into the unknown. It extends the

scientist's thinking beyond the known facts.      The scientist plans

experiments, performs calculations, and makes observations to test

hypotheses. Without     hypothesis, further investigation lacks purpose and

direction. When hypotheses are confirmed, they are incorporated into

theories.

科學(xué)理論

 

在科學(xué)中，理論是對所觀察到的相關(guān)事件的合理解釋。 理論通常包含一個虛構(gòu)的模型，

這個模型幫助科學(xué)家構(gòu)想所觀察到的事件是如何發(fā)生的。  分子運(yùn)動理論便是我們能找到的 一個很好的例子。

在這個理論中，氣體被描繪成由許多不斷運(yùn)動的小顆粒組成。 一個有用 的理論，除了能夠解釋過去的觀測，還有助于預(yù)測那些未被觀測到的事件。  一個理論公開

后，科學(xué)家們設(shè)計(jì)實(shí)驗(yàn)來檢驗(yàn)這個理論。  如果觀察證實(shí)了科學(xué)家的預(yù)言，這個理論則得到 了驗(yàn)證。 如果觀察不能證實(shí)科學(xué)家的預(yù)言，科學(xué)家就必須進(jìn)一步的研究。

或許是實(shí)驗(yàn)存在 錯誤，或許是這個理論必須被修改或拋棄。  科學(xué)家除了收集信息和操作實(shí)驗(yàn)外還需要想象 能力和創(chuàng)/造性思維。  事實(shí)本身并不是科學(xué)。

正如數(shù)學(xué)家喬斯·亨利·波恩克爾所說："科 學(xué)建立在事實(shí)之上，就像房子用磚砌成一樣。  但事實(shí)的收集不能被稱作科學(xué)，就像一堆磚 不能被叫作房子一樣。

"多數(shù)科學(xué)家通過找出別的科學(xué)家在一個特定問題上的所知來開始研 究。在收集了已知事實(shí)之后，科學(xué)家開始了研究中需要相當(dāng)想像力的部分。  他們爾后擬訂

對這個問題的可行的解決方法。這些可行的解決方式被稱為假設(shè)。  在某種意義上，任何假

設(shè)都是向未知的跳躍。它使科學(xué)家的思維超越已知事實(shí)�？茖W(xué)家計(jì)劃實(shí)驗(yàn)、計(jì)算、觀測以檢 驗(yàn)假定。若沒有假設(shè)，進(jìn)一步的研究便缺乏目的和方向。

當(dāng)假設(shè)被證實(shí)了，就成為理論的 一部分。

譯路通武漢漢口翻譯公司整理

2012.6.11