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| Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock |
One
of the ways in which science advances is by building models,
which are often made up of more or less complex sets of mathematical equations,
and trying to verify whether or not these models adapt to the functioning of
the real world, as described by our senses and our instruments.
When
building and using a model we must consider two distinct phases:
- Model adjustment: it consists of assigning values to the
parameters of the model to ensure that it fits the data we already have
about the real world. A model not adjusted to such prior knowledge would
be totally useless.
- Model validation: it consists of using the model to make surprising
predictions that nobody could have foreseen without the help of
the model. If these predictions are confirmed, they become surprising accurate predictions, validating
the model. However, the validation is never final, for a new surprising
inaccurate prediction could invalidate it in the future.
Let's
look at a few examples:
