The distinction is that a theory of “unicorns” is a theory that describes how and why other people (and probably you yourself) think about unicorns, while a theory of unicorns would explain actual unicorns. The latter would clearly fail as a theory, because you’re never going to actually see a unicorn.
The same distinction doesn’t apply to Newtonian mechanics, because Newtonian mechanics is a theory of mechanics, not a theory of how people think about mechanics.
On those grounds, I think it’s quite reasonable to say that virtual particles are real, and “unicorns” are real, but unicorns are not real.
The same distinction doesn’t apply to Newtonian mechanics, because Newtonian mechanics is a theory of mechanics, not a theory of how people think about mechanics.
On those grounds, I think it’s quite reasonable to say that virtual particles are real, and “unicorns” are real, but unicorns are not real.
Not sure if you read anything I wrote in this thread. Note that both Newton’s laws and “unicorn” laws are models. You don’t find Newton’s laws in Nature, just like you don’t find “unicorn” laws. You don’t find virtual particles, either, as they are but terms in the perturbative expansion of a particular quantum field theory (which is also a model, and not found in the wild).
The distinction is that a theory of “unicorns” is a theory that describes how and why other people (and probably you yourself) think about unicorns, while a theory of unicorns would explain actual unicorns. The latter would clearly fail as a theory, because you’re never going to actually see a unicorn.
The same distinction doesn’t apply to Newtonian mechanics, because Newtonian mechanics is a theory of mechanics, not a theory of how people think about mechanics.
On those grounds, I think it’s quite reasonable to say that virtual particles are real, and “unicorns” are real, but unicorns are not real.
Not sure if you read anything I wrote in this thread. Note that both Newton’s laws and “unicorn” laws are models. You don’t find Newton’s laws in Nature, just like you don’t find “unicorn” laws. You don’t find virtual particles, either, as they are but terms in the perturbative expansion of a particular quantum field theory (which is also a model, and not found in the wild).
Anyway, disengaging now.