An adaptation of Heisenberg's insight that observation affects the observed, extended to science and knowledge itself: the act of studying a phenomenon inevitably changes it, and there are fundamental limits to what can be known simultaneously. The Uncertainty Principle of Science and Epistemology suggests that in studying complex systems (societies, minds, ecosystems), the very act of measurement alters the system. Moreover, there are trade-offs: the more precisely you know one aspect, the less precisely you can know another. You cannot simultaneously know the position and momentum of a particle; you cannot simultaneously know the structure and dynamics of a society; you cannot simultaneously know the content and context of a belief. Knowledge has fundamental limits—not due to poor instruments, but due to the nature of reality and the knower's inescapable role in it.
Uncertainty Principle of Science and Epistemology "Study a society, and it changes because it's being studied. Measure a mind, and it's altered by the measurement. Uncertainty Principle for Science says: there are limits to knowing, not because we're bad at it, but because knowing changes things. The more precisely you track a variable, the more others blur. Science isn't broken; it's just uncertain—and uncertainty isn't failure, it's physics."
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 6, 2026
Get the Uncertainty Principle of Science and Epistemology mug.1.) Berger's First Permutation Principle of Divisibility states that all permutations greater than 3! are evenly divisible by 6.
2.) Berger's Second Permutation Principle of Divisibility states that all permutations greater than 4! are evenly divisible by 12.
The "!" is mathematically denoted as "factorial."
2.) Berger's Second Permutation Principle of Divisibility states that all permutations greater than 4! are evenly divisible by 12.
The "!" is mathematically denoted as "factorial."
1.) In Berger's Permutation Principles of Divisibility, 3!-a! are ALL divisible by 6 a y number of times.
2.) In Berger's Permutation Principles of Divisibility, 4!-n! are ALL divisible by 12 an x number of times.
2.) In Berger's Permutation Principles of Divisibility, 4!-n! are ALL divisible by 12 an x number of times.
by 3VegasBerger343 November 16, 2011
Get the Berger's Permutation Principles of Divisibility mug.What a grade-school student tells someone as a reason for his unwillingness to perform a requested action; it means dat while he personally would not mind doing it, he is afraid dat "da big man in dat dreaded upstairs office" would disapprove, and thus he would give him major grief if he found out.
One sixth-grade boy conversing with another on da playground: Sorry, Dude --- I can't slip you a textbook in class to help you get a better grade on your test; it's the principal of the thing."
by QuacksO February 3, 2023
Get the it's the principal of the thing mug.(n.) The defacto gold star standard for delivering products and/or services within a projected timeframe. Derived from the original Star Trek series wherein Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott consistently made the seemingly impossible happen just in time to save the crew of the Enterprise from disaster.
The premise is simple:
1) Caluculate average required time for completion of given task.
2) Depending on importance of task, add 25-50% additional time to original estimate.
3) Report and commit to inflated time estimate with superiors, clients, etc.
4) Under optimal conditions the task is completed closer to the original time estimate vs. the inflated delivery time expected by those waiting.
The premise is simple:
1) Caluculate average required time for completion of given task.
2) Depending on importance of task, add 25-50% additional time to original estimate.
3) Report and commit to inflated time estimate with superiors, clients, etc.
4) Under optimal conditions the task is completed closer to the original time estimate vs. the inflated delivery time expected by those waiting.
The following situation is a simulation of the Scotty Principle in practice.
Kirk: "The ship seems sluggish today. When was the last time you did a tune-up on the warp drive?"
Scotty: "Aye, sir. She's due. Last maintenance was 56 days ago."
Kirk: (light chuckle) "Well, what are you waiting for? An ambush from cloaked Romulans?"
Scotty: "I'll need to check how much dilithium we have in supply, but she'll be better than new in no time."
Kirk: "And that will be...?"
Scotty: "Six hours."
--- four hours later ---
Scotty: "All done, sir. Care to test her out?"
--- Enterprise taken rapidly to warp 3, does a few doughnuts, comes to a smooth stop ---
Kirk: "Scotty, there's no finer engineer in this quadrant!"
Kirk: "The ship seems sluggish today. When was the last time you did a tune-up on the warp drive?"
Scotty: "Aye, sir. She's due. Last maintenance was 56 days ago."
Kirk: (light chuckle) "Well, what are you waiting for? An ambush from cloaked Romulans?"
Scotty: "I'll need to check how much dilithium we have in supply, but she'll be better than new in no time."
Kirk: "And that will be...?"
Scotty: "Six hours."
--- four hours later ---
Scotty: "All done, sir. Care to test her out?"
--- Enterprise taken rapidly to warp 3, does a few doughnuts, comes to a smooth stop ---
Kirk: "Scotty, there's no finer engineer in this quadrant!"
by fugitive247 September 6, 2005
Get the Scotty Principle mug.The r/writing subreddit Principle states that if your question starts with the words "Is it ok" or something similar to that then the answer is invariably yes.
"Hello, r/writing. Can I use a particular gimmick or a plot device that has been used before but because I don't actually read books or do any research I just assume it to be a highly original idea?"
"According to the r/writing subreddit Principle, the answer is always yes. You can write whatever you want."
"But is it ok if, like, my main character dies in the end? I'm afraid the average reader will be put off by my creative genius."
"Yes! Stop asking other people for validation! Grow a backbone and write what you want!"
"According to the r/writing subreddit Principle, the answer is always yes. You can write whatever you want."
"But is it ok if, like, my main character dies in the end? I'm afraid the average reader will be put off by my creative genius."
"Yes! Stop asking other people for validation! Grow a backbone and write what you want!"
by Judas Altar Boy June 24, 2022
Get the The r/writing subreddit Principle mug.When you gamble against what you want to happen so you’re happy either way (essentially hedging your happiness)
by Ceauxcheaux March 18, 2021
Get the The Schonfeld Principle mug.An offshoot of Godwin's Law stating that the longer and more obtuse a comment thread grows (specifically on Reddit), the odds that someone will make a random Avatar : The Last Airbender reference approaches one. After which the thread will devolve into nothing but Avatar jokes.
by AOmundson March 11, 2019
Get the Sublime principle mug.