Common Sense and Scientific Intuition

Abstract

Common sense tells us that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones, that we can catch up with whatever we want by increasing our speed without limit, and that light travels infinitely fast. This chapter explores the power of thought experiments to probe deeper insights into nature than common sense. In this way common sense developed from daily experiences is found to be naive and inappropriate for extending our knowledge. Thought experiments can lead to scientific theories that form the basis for a new intuition of nature. For instance, Galileo used thought experiments to overturn the “intuitive” Aristotelian view of falling bodies.