vault backup: 2026-03-03 12:21:57

realism-vs-instrumentalism.md

@@ -13,11 +13,17 @@ dg-publish: true
 
 Realism holds that the purpose of [scientific research](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research)
 is to describe the world as accurately as possible.
-Instrumentalism (anti-realism) holds that the purpose
-is to make accurate predictions.
+Instrumentalism (anti-realism) argues that the purpose
+is to _forecast as accurately as possible_.
 
 > [!quote] George E. P. Box, British statistician
-> All models are wrong, but some are useful.
+> All models are wrong, but some are useful.[^1]
+
+[^1]: > [!quote] [[box_1987_empirical-model-building#The Use of Approximating Functions]] 
+    > The fact that the polynomial is an approximation
+    > does not necessarily detract from its usefulness
+    > because all models are approximations.
+    > Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful.
 
 > [!quote] _Opinionated History of Mathematics_, "Did Copernicus steal ideas from Islamic astronomers?" (pp.)
 > Ptolemy's lunar model is "flawed"