Barker, Sean (UK) wrote:  (01)
> If I might remind you of the traditional definition of an
> engineer "Someone who can do for sixpence what any fool can do for a
> shilling" ...
>
> Also, the yardstick of whether something is a scientific theory
> is whether it makes testable predictions, not whether it has, say, a
> mathematical basis. Better theories are those that make more or more
> precise (& true) predictions. For example, there is a theory that "there
> are three ways of loosing a fortune - women, horses and engineers; the
> first two are the most pleasurable, the last most certain". Although it
> may not embed any explanatory principle, it does have some predictive
> value.  (02) 
Thanks, Sean, we needed that! :-)  (03)
There is also the old joke about distinguishing mathematicians, 
scientists and engineers: Ask them to consider the theory that all odd 
numbers are prime. The mathematician considers, 1 is "prime", 3 is 
prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is not prime; the theorem is false.
The scientist considers, 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 
9 is not prime, 11 is prime, 13 is prime; the theory may be valid, but 
there is unexplained experimental deviation. The engineer considers,
1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is prime, 11 is prime ...  (04)
-Ed  (05)
-- 
Edward J. Barkmeyer Email: edbark@xxxxxxxx
National Institute of Standards & Technology
Manufacturing Systems Integration Division
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8263 Tel: +1 301-975-3528
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8263 FAX: +1 301-975-4694  (06)
"The opinions expressed above do not reflect consensus of NIST,
 and have not been reviewed by any Government authority."  (07)
_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/ 
Subscribe/Config: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/ 
Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/ 
To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  (08)