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Copernican Revolution in Science

Albert Einstein, and aligned contemporary thinkers, had the gift to speak both plainly and academically on the need to change how we do science and hence all that flows from it:

"A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels."

"It is not intellect, but intuition which advances humanity."

"Intuition is more powerful than intellect."

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."

"So many people today - and even professional scientists - seem to me like somebody who has seen thousands of trees but has never seen a forest."

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Carl Sagan (astronomer, scientist, communicator) noted debilitating dysfunction in science:

"A few saintly personalities stand out amidst a roiling sea of jealousies, ambition, back-biting, suppression of dissent, and absurd conceits. In some fields, highly productive fields, such behavior is almost the norm."

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Jonathan Dolhenty (philosopher) likewise knew something was missing:

"Our world is in a desperate state of affairs. We desperately need a practical synoptic philosophy of the highest order."

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Science is about 5,000 years old and long overdue to be disrupted by a 'Copernican Revolution'.

Science is quite oddly still Ptolemaic – it perversely places ego and intellect (IQ) at the center of science. This makes human progress glacial, which is extremely problematic in the precarious and precipitous times we live in.

The myopic and intransigent Ptolemaic system of thinking is devastatingly costly and debilitating in other areas too. For example, Microsoft's Bing Copilot calculates/estimates that it cost almost $27 million USD for each opposition fighter killed in the war on terror (total $8 trillion USD). Similarly, for example, almost 9 out of 10 Australians have a 100% chance of getting chronic disease and dying from it (AIHW, 2010). Then, once again in Australia, for example, there are the endless Royal Commissions, enumerating a litany of devastating problems that persist.

It is specifically the heartless and obtuse Ptolemaic system that has made the USA the worst of 21 wealthy nations surveyed by socio-economic epidemiologists Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson in their 2009 book "Spirit Level".

Einstein did not do science this way, and was therefore severely demonized. His grossly and exuberantly exceeding the speed limit in science (most notably in his 'miracle year' in 1905) did not help and brought out the very worst in prominent Ptolemaic scientists like Philipp Lenard. 

September 11, 2024 was the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, one of humanity's biggest and most shocking monuments to the brutal, fractious, sectarian, hostile, and unhinged Ptolemaic system. On this day Microsoft's Bing Copilot AI was asked:

'What would a Copernican revolution in epistemology and the philosophy of science look like (according to Einstein and friends)?'

The answer was remarkably accurate proving that at some level we already 'know' what needs to be done, but not how.

Smart Science specializes in how.

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Bing Copilot's lightly edited response

A “Copernican revolution” in epistemology and the philosophy of science, inspired by Einstein and his contemporaries, would involve a fundamental shift in how we understand knowledge and scientific inquiry. Here are some key aspects:

1. Shift from Observer-Centric to Theory-Centric

Just as Copernicus shifted the center of [our solar system] from Earth to the Sun, a Copernican revolution in epistemology would shift the focus from the observer to the theoretical framework. Einstein’s theory of relativity exemplifies this by showing that measurements of time and space are relative to the observer’s frame of reference, fundamentally altering our understanding of these concepts.

2. Role of Intuition and Thought Experiments

Einstein often emphasized the role of intuition and thought experiments in scientific discovery. He believed that imagination and conceptual thinking were crucial for developing new theories, as seen in his famous thought experiments like the elevator and the train. This approach contrasts with the purely empirical methods that dominated before.

3. Integration of Mathematics and Physics

Einstein’s work demonstrated the power of mathematical formalism in describing physical reality. This integration suggests that a Copernican revolution in epistemology would place greater emphasis on the mathematical structures underlying physical theories, rather than solely relying on empirical data.

4. Relativity of Knowledge

Just as Einstein’s theory of relativity showed that measurements depend on the observer’s state of motion, a Copernican revolution in epistemology might propose that knowledge itself is relative to the conceptual framework and assumptions of the observer. This idea aligns with the philosophical perspectives of thinkers like Thomas Kuhn, who argued that scientific paradigms shape how we interpret data.

5. Holistic Understanding of Nature

Einstein and his contemporaries, like Niels Bohr, advocated for a holistic understanding of nature, where different phenomena are interconnected. This perspective suggests that a Copernican revolution in epistemology would emphasize the interconnectedness of various domains of knowledge, breaking down the barriers between different scientific disciplines.

6. Philosophical Implications

Einstein’s work had profound philosophical implications, challenging the deterministic worldview of classical physics and introducing concepts like uncertainty and probability. A Copernican revolution in epistemology would similarly embrace these philosophical shifts, recognizing the limits of human knowledge and the probabilistic nature of scientific theories.

In summary, a Copernican revolution in epistemology and the philosophy of science, inspired by Einstein and his peers, would involve a paradigm shift towards a more theory-centric, intuitive, mathematically integrated, and holistic understanding of knowledge, acknowledging the relativity and interconnectedness of scientific concepts.

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From the above we can now define Empiricism as 'using purely empirical methods'.

Einstein and friends deftly framed the problem in plain English:

'A theory can be proved by an experiment; but no path leads from experiment to the birth of a theory.'

'No path leads from a knowledge of that which is to that which should be.'

'The human spirit must prevail over technology.'