If it cannot interact with you... (On the definition of science)

[kmarinas86]

If it cannot interact with you, then you cannot interact with it.
If it cannot interact with you, then you cannot study it, for studying that something implies interaction with its material.

So if it cannot interact with you, could it be studied scientifically?

The answer, which I have come to, happpens to be "no."

[GDwarf]

I'd disagree.
If something can't interact with you, but it can interact with something else that you can interact with (Or, if you can't interact with it, then maybe it can interact with something you can interact with, etc. Although I'd guess that the more mediums it must pass through the less accurate any information you get would be.), then you can study it. However, if whatever it is doesn't interact with anything, then yes, you can't study it, but there wouldn't be much point either, would there? :P

[Gruesome]

I guess I'd base it all on the meaning of the word 'interact'. I suppose I would define that as experiencing via one of the five senses, because one need not directly interact with the sun to study it. Just look at all the cool stuff SOHO produces. MHO

[kmarinas86]

I'd disagree.
If something can't interact with you, but it can interact with something else that you can interact with, then you can study it. However, if whatever it is doesn't interact with anything, then yes, you can't study it, but there wouldn't be much point either, would there? :P

Exactly, however I would put that any form of interaction involves subinteractions and thus can't be absolutely direct. Interactions are two-way, in that object A causes changes in object Z and object Z causes changes in object A. The data we get from SOHO is like a telephone call we get from someone else. However, if we don't "call back" intelligently, we don't learn as much. An important feature of a well developed understanding, I think, is the ability to "call back" intelligently. This puts our science in relation to the science of the future, which I believe, will be much more advanced than today's.