Academy of Finland

About: Academy of Finland is a government organization based out in Helsinki, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 286 authors who have published 419 publications receiving 15304 citations. The organization is also known as: Finlands Akademi & Suomen Akatemia.

The old and the new logic of metascience

Abstract: J. D. Sneed's approach to the philosophy of science (Sneed, 1971) has had, among other things, the following very important effect. It has compelled philosophers to reconsider what are the most appropriate logical tools in the study on the structure and dynamics of empirical theories. In Stegmiiller (1976) (translated from StegmiiUer, 1973), this reevaluation results in the claim that the traditional methods, where the specific language used and its formal properties play a central role and which thus imitate metamathematical studies, have led the philosophy of science astray. On the one hand, Stegmtiller seems to claim that the traditional logical methods in the philosophy of science have almost solely been syntactical and prooftheoretical (Stegmi~ller, 1976, pp.2, 12) and research in modern logic likewise concentrates on such aspects (p. 2). On the other hand, he nevertheless also claims that results in mathematical logic can be of great metascientific relevance. For instance, without the instrumentarium provided by modern model theory the precise articulation of the nonstatement view (that is, the Sneedian view) of physical theories would not have been possible (p. 9). I do not feel competent to take a definite stand here in regard to StegmOller's claim that the traditional approach has led the philosophy of science astray. I nevertheless strongly suspect that the new ideas which Sneed's work contains are due to his ingenuity and arose independently of any recent developments in mathematical logic. It also seems to me that if methodology of the traditional kind had kept step with these developments, the Sneedian type of theorizing would have been possible on its basis. One of the 15urposes of this paper is to clarify these two points. It is easy to agree with Stegmt~ller's claim that results in mathematical logic can have a great metascientific relevance. For mathematical logic is obviously relevant to the study of the logical structure of theories. But it is not easy to admit that the methods in the traditional approach to the philosophy of science would have been as completely syntactic as Stegmfiller seems to claim, even though syntactic considerations have played an

Kinematic and thermal properties of a large-amplitude wave in the westerlies

Abstract: The characteristics of a large-amplitude long wave, with superimposed short-wave disturbances, are described with emphasis on the deviations between the real and geostrophic winds, and between the corresponding vorticity fields. In the long-wave trough and ridge, the maximum wind speed differed from the geostrophic wind by a factor of about two. Correspondingly large differences were observed between the thermal shear and the vertical shear of the real wind. Consistent with this, the slope of the polar front was much steeper in the trough, and shallower in the ridge, than is indicated by Margules' formula for straight flow. The vertical shear was also influenced by the change of trajectory curvature with height, which is shown to be systematically related in part to the vertical motion field. The regions of strongest divergence and convergence in the upper troposphere lay very nearly on the jet-stream axis, and local maximum values were an order of magnitude larger than the mean divergence over the region between trough and ridge of the long wave. Kinematically computed vertical motions indicate descent west and ascent east of the trough, in the warm air; in the cold air mass, however, there was ascent west and descent east of the trough line. The differential adiabatic heating or cooling associated with this distribution of vertical motions contributes to strengthening of the horizontal temperature gradient in air approaching the trough, and a weakening in the air streaming eastward from the trough. The indicated redistributions of potential energy are qualitatively in accord with kinetic energy variations along the current, on the west and east sides of the trough where marked deceleration and acceleration are observed in the upper troposphere. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1963.tb01370.x