ED T wrote:
Yes, but that's the primary activity of "pure" science: to discern
differences and then categorize and name things.

No--that is not the primary activity of science. (I don't know what
the term "pure" means in this context--do you mean exclusive of, say,
engineering?) The purpose of science is to find patterns in natural
phenomena, and to relate them to other natural phenomena.

We often call this latter activity "explaining," but in this context it
means something just a little different from what it means in casual
use. In particular, it excludes explanations of the "Just So" variety.
Such a "Just So" statement might be made, but it is not a categorical
statement of truth, rather an admission that we really don't understand
why things seem to act the way they do.

This whole business of categorizing and naming things is only an
ancillary purpose of science, being useful only to the extent that it
facilitates talking about the objects of study.

--
Brian Tung
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