Supertheories and Consilience - From Alchemy to Electromagnetism

Explore the evolution of scientific theories and the concept of consilience in this thought-provoking lecture from the Santa Fe Institute. Delve into the historical development of unifying scientific principles, from Francis Bacon's skepticism to the gradual rise of consilience in scientific discourse. Examine the emergence of supertheories like electromagnetism and the wave theory of light, which revolutionized scientific understanding by explaining diverse phenomena. Analyze data from the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society to trace the increasing emphasis on consilience over two centuries. Investigate the origins and implications of this epistemic norm, questioning why unified theories are favored in some scientific disciplines but not others. Gain insights into the complex relationship between scientific methodology, theory development, and the quest for comprehensive explanations of the natural world.