The Importance of the Names of Things

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I've been thinking about this problem of language, how we use words to describe things which are always going to be delimiting to our cognition about it. So here's my analogy that, you know, when you guys talk about dark matter or dark energy, you don't mean that as an explanation. This is just a thing we're going to call this thing we don't understand. But that's not an answer, right? The words are not the answer. Yes, i i've i meanis the reason why i preferred physics, even at school, to to say, chemistry and biology, was because i wasn't good at remembering stuff. I meant, the great richard fin

In this conversation with quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host Jim Al-Khalili reveals how 8 lessons from the heart of science can help us all get the most out of our lives.

Today’s world is unpredictable and full of contradictions, and navigating its complexities while trying to make the best decisions is far from easy. In this brief guide to leading a more rational life, acclaimed physicist Jim Al-Khalili invites readers to engage with the world as scientists have been trained to do. The scientific method has served humankind well in its quest to see things as they really are, and underpinning the scientific method are core principles that can help us all navigate modern life more confidently. Discussing the nature of truth and uncertainty, the role of doubt, the pros and cons of simplification, the value of guarding against bias, the importance of evidence-based thinking, and more, Al-Khalili shows how the powerful ideas at the heart of the scientific method are deeply relevant to the complicated times we live in and the difficult choices we make.