Do Things We Cannot Directly Detect Exist? in the Early

question 60

Essay

Do Things We Cannot Directly Detect Exist? In the early part of the 20th century, physicists experimentally discovered that a certain type of radioactive decay did not seem to conserve either energy or momentum. These experiments were "explained" by postulating the existence of an undetected (and potentially undetectable)particle, dubbed the neutrino, that carried away the missing energy and momentum. It was argued that neutrinos interacted so weakly with matter that they were extremely hard to detect. If you were a scientist at this time, how would you evaluate the reasonableness this solution given Occam's razor?

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Definitions:

Karl Marx's Ideas

The theoretical foundation for Marxism, focusing on class struggle, the impacts of capitalism, and the eventual need for a proletarian revolution.

Economic Determinism

The theory that economic relationships (such as capitalist or feudal relations) are the foundation upon which all other social and political arrangements are built.

Dialectics

A method of argument or philosophy that emphasizes the resolution of contradictions through the interaction of opposing forces, ideas, or arguments.

Dialectical Thinker

An individual who employs the method of dialectics, analyzing contradictions in ideas, beliefs, or conditions to understand societal changes.