Theory Design Lab

Science alone of all the subjects contains within itself the lesson of the danger of belief in the infallibility of the greatest teachers in the preceding generation ... Learn from science that you must doubt the experts. As a matter of fact, I can also define science another way: Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.

—Richard Feynman

Theory Design Lab

That which we learn most thoroughly, and remember the best, is what we have in a way taught ourselves.

—On education (Über Pädagogik), Immanuel Kant

The Theory Design Lab is an interdisciplinary facility for the development of virtual theories and resulting simulations and edutainment. Interesting topics for virtual theories include astronomy, exobiology, astrosociobiology, terraforming projects and, of course, Dragon Genetics.

An experience, a very humble experience, is capable of generating and carrying any amount of theory (or intellectual content), but a theory apart from an experience cannot be definitely grasped even as theory. It tends to become a mere verbal formula, a set of catchwords used to render thinking, or genuine theorizing, unnecessary and impossible. Because of our education we use words, thinking they are ideas, to dispose of questions, the disposal being in reality simply such an obscuring of perception as prevents us from seeing any longer the difficulty.

—Democracy and Education, John Dewey

Subject "Theory"

Theories from the Theory Design Lab can be used in regular subjects or in a subject "Theory". Theory can have the special property that the teacher presents interdisciplinary topics, possibly following the stated interests and requests of the audience, but that every lesson contains alternative theories, mistakes or describes theories that merely happen to disagree with reality; the audience has to consider the propositions and has to decide which parts they believe in. In theory the audience should vote at the end of each lesson which theories or parts of theories they believe and which parts they don't believe. Theory can have the advantage of edutainment: Some theories may get funny enough to have real entertainment value for a larger audience.

Theories

The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know.

—Albert Einstein

Predestination Extraterrestrial point of view Conservation law of ideas Xenolinguistics Respect economy Gym class bioethics Colonization of Mars

Observer-psychology effect Theory of thinking Interstellar colonization Defence against the dark arts Evolution and the categorical imperative Prime Directive of the United Federation of Planets

Forum

Forum — the public forum of the Theory Design Lab

See also

• Assistant teacher course: Theory formation
• Topic:Post-information society
• Center for intercultural competence with artificial intelligences

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The content is provided without any warranties of fitness for a particular purpose or suitability for pupils in a specific grade.