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"在科学思想中,由于必须解决经验与预先建立的知识框架之间的分歧,产生了一个验证过程。"

Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget Developmental Psychologist
Translations
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Quote meaning
What this quote is really saying is that in science, whenever our observations or experiences don’t fit with what we already believe to be true, we need to double-check and verify things to make sense of the discrepancy. It's like if you’ve always believed the sky is blue, but suddenly it appears green one day. You'd have to investigate why that’s happening and verify your findings to understand the reason behind this change.

Historically, this concept is central to the scientific method. Scientists throughout history have faced moments where their findings didn’t match their expectations. Think back to the time of Galileo. When he pointed his telescope at Jupiter and discovered moons orbiting it, this was a massive deviation from the widely accepted geocentric model of the universe. The common belief was that everything revolved around Earth. Galileo’s observations didn’t fit this framework, so verification was necessary. He had to meticulously check and re-check his observations and findings, despite the resistance from the established knowledge of the time.

Let’s consider a real-life example to bring this home. Imagine you’re a chef and you’ve always used 350°F as the standard temperature to bake cookies. They come out perfect every time. But one day, at the same temperature and same recipe, the cookies are burnt. You’re puzzled. Instead of discarding the experience, you start verifying: was the oven malfunctioning, did you accidentally leave them in too long, or perhaps the ingredient proportions were off? By investigating these factors, you eventually realize the oven’s thermostat was broken, causing it to overheat. Problem resolved—thanks to verification!

Now, how can we apply this wisdom in our daily lives? Simple: don’t take things at face value, especially when they don’t align with what you know or believe. If something doesn’t add up, dig deeper. Whether it’s a financial statement that looks off or a health regimen that isn’t yielding expected results, approach the situation like a scientist. Verify and investigate until you get to the bottom of it. It’s all about being curious and thorough.

Let’s paint a relatable scenario. Picture this: you’re at work and your boss suddenly tells you that the project you’re working on is going in the wrong direction. You’re surprised because you’ve followed the previous guidelines to the letter. Instead of feeling deflated or defensive, you decide to verify. You go back through emails, meeting notes, and even have a chat with a few colleagues. Turns out, there was a miscommunication about the project’s goals somewhere along the line. By verifying the information and understanding where things went astray, you’re able to correct the course and, better yet, prevent such misunderstandings in the future.

So, next time you find yourself in a situation where things just don’t add up, think like a scientist. Verify, investigate, and resolve. Remember, it’s all about reconciling the new experience with what you thought you knew—turning confusion into clarity.
Related tags
Epistemology Experience Knowledge Science Scientific method Thought process
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