The rationality of scientific concept formation in theory transitions, challenged by the thesis of semantic incommensurability, can be restored by the "Chains of Meaning" approach to concept formation ...

The weight of the kilogram may soon rest on the emptiness of a vacuum. Of all the standard units currently in use around the world, the kilogram -- the official unit of mass in the International ...

Thought experiments can be extremely powerful; after all, pretty much everything that [Einstein] came up with was based on thought experiments. But when a thought experiment turns into a real ...

From the macroscopic to the microscopic physical properties of the world around us, condensed-matter and materials-science research have a huge impact on daily life. And yet, as James Kakalios ...

The Big Ideas: What Is Reality? Effective theories in physics can help us measure and examine reality, despite the many things we do not yet know. By Lisa Randall Dr. Randall is a physicist. This ...

Receive emails about upcoming NOVA programs and related content, as well as featured reporting about current events through a science lens. And how strange is it that we even have to ask? Unlike other ...