Comments on The Curious Wavefunction: That is verboten

@TheChemist: "Show", while colloquial, does indeed...

2009-11-10T06:12:26.565-08:00

@TheChemist: "Show", while colloquial, does indeed seem to be an appropriate word. Unfortunately my past advisor often eschewed useful colloquialism like this, a practice with which I sometimes disagreed.

@swheele2: That seems like the right way to say it

Excellent points. I have recently started using...

2009-11-09T17:54:23.548-08:00

Excellent points.

I have recently started using "...results are most readily explained by the XXX model", particularly when I'm comparing one particular model with others in the literature. This way I'm making it clear that all I can claim is that of available models/explanations, this one is the most consistent with the data. Future data might go against it, and future models might surpass it.

What about "show"/"shows"? It may seem a little co...

2009-11-08T08:23:25.839-08:00

What about "show"/"shows"? It may seem a little colloquial but it drops all pretense. It's a very effective way of saying, "This appears to be self-evident to anyone versed in the field." This, without saying anything in the least that would make it appear as if you are not at all certain about your results. It also has the added benefit of keeping a certain level of stylistic clarity. If you promise to "show" you'll tend to be a lot more inclined to draw clear lines from one piece of reasoning to the next. I'm not certain because I've been taking it for granted, but I believe that this word is often used- or perhaps that's just a quirk of my memory now that I've mentioned it.

OT, but I think that quote originates with Scott...

2009-11-03T17:22:25.358-08:00

OT, but I *think* that quote originates with Scott Fahlman not Hal Abelson.

I could be wrong; it was pretty popular way back when.

Yes, prove is almost always a bad word. But, on t...

2009-11-03T13:19:25.523-08:00