Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published December 2001 | public
Journal Article

How building physical models can reduce and guide the abstraction of nature

Abstract

Animals detect and acquire resources through a sequence of shape changes. This process is tightly coupled to the sensory and mechanical ecology of the animal. Building physical models allow us to prescind from modeling these aspects of the environment, which may not yet be described or suitably abstracted. The significance of this hybrid of physical modeling and experimentation to the acquisition of scientific knowledge is discussed.

Additional Information

© 2001 Cambridge University Press. Published online: 17 December 2002.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023