Tools of the Trade
Okay, so you probably think I'm going to talk about microscopes and telescopes (or NOT) and micrometers and telemeters and other devices and instruments used by physicists. Well, yes, a little...and no, a lot.
First of all, anybody can write about those things. There's not a lot to say...how they work, when they were invented, who did it and so on. And I'll throw in a little of that later. But right now I'm more interested in those tools which make us all capable of being physicists right from the day we're born. Namely: the hardware and software of our thinking and 5 (at least) senses.
Born to Learn
It is the common expectation to be born with a brain, 2 eyes, 2 ears, a tongue and a nose, as well as an outer layer of skin. All together, these pieces of human "hardware" prepare us to be information gatherers. Of course, just like a computer, we need software to make use of these human organs. Thus, we talk about vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch. In concert with a mystery we call the "mind" we sift through our daily experiences, try to make sense of our data, and draw conclusions from our observations.
As we grow, we repeat experiences, watch for data which supports or negates previous conclusions, and make new observations about our lives. In this way we hope to come up with theories or laws by which we can live and avoid major disasters. Those of us who are good at it soon get a reputation for having good "common sense."
Well, this is pretty much what a physicist (read scientist) does, too! Armed with a sense of purpose and a diploma which says she knows more about learning than the next guy, our optimistic physicist prepares to go behind everyday experience and get at the root of things. And some of them do a pretty good job, too.
Proving the Negative/Positive
Basically, having chosen an investigative route to follow, a good scientist designs and carries out experiments and makes observations to see if he can disprove something he already believes. I call this "proving the negative." In other words, I start with what I believe and see if I can find an instance when it is no longer true.
Or, I may not know what to believe at all. Consequently, I have to look around for a good idea, then check it out to see if my theory works. I call this "proving the positive." Here, I start out with what I believe and see if I can find situations in which it is true. If I'm real fortunate, I may make a new discovery. EUREKA!
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