What Does The Word Explain Mean
How can the word ‘explain’ exactly means? According to Cambridge dictionary the word ‘explain’ is used to mean ‘make something clear or easy to understand by describing or giving information about it. It is possible to have various interpretations of the same world ,in everyday language the term "explain" can mean many things, and is generally applied to prove something or make it more comprehensible, but in the more complex level it could mean many things depending on the subject it denotes. However, when mathematicians, historians and scientist say that they have explained something they are not using the word “explain” in the same way. To me, math is solid, concrete and durable, and it is easy to explain since concepts used in math are constant
…show more content…
and never change. Science is somewhat strong, but is subject to opinion to a certain extent, and history is the most flexible and easy to explain because of the fact that it is much more subject to interpretation than mathematics or science.
Math deals with deriving a "proof" to explain something, to show that it has a factual basis. It is not as open to interpretation as history or science. Mathematic questions only have one correct answer, even though there may be many ways to go about solving them. For example, if I had to solve or simplify the following equation It is possible to make use of the Pascal’s Triangle or factoring to “explain” how to find the answer: (x+a)^3
Factoring- (x+a)(x+a)=x^2+2ax+a^2 times (x+a)= x^3+3a^x+3ax^2+a^3
Pascal’s Triangle-
1
11
121
1331
1(x)^3(a)^0+3(x)^2(a)^1+3(x)^2(a)^2+1(x)^0(a)^3
or
^3+3a^x+3ax^2+a^3
As we can observe, even though there are two ways to explain how to solve this problem, there is only one answer to a question. So in math when explaining how to obtain an answer one has to go into detail about the way of solving it. The mathematician must justify the ends by explaining the means. For example: It is common knowledge that 2+2=4, but how do we know that this is true? Why can 2+2 not equal 5? Now, a mathematician could explain that the plus sign means addition, which in turn means to add together. But why is that? Why does “+” mean to add? The answer is axioms. Axioms are certain assumptions and definitions that are commonly accepted, and known to be true. It is an axiom that addition, (as notated by the + sign,) means to add two values together, and the integer 2 plus another integer 2 makes the integer 4. Therefore, 2+2=4. So in math axioms are needed to explain answers because there is only one correct answer to a mathematical problem, and although there may be different ways of viewing the problem the answer is always the same. The means to solve a mathematical problem can only be explained through commonly accepted definitions.
Now, while mathematics has one clear answer to a question that can be explained through the use of axioms, history is much more subject to interpretation. When explaining history it is from the explainer’s point of view. The historians explain how we have gotten to where we are, and they explain how history can be used to navigate us into the future. It is alike math in that there is an answer, but the way to the answer is all based upon interpretation of the past.
For example, two people witness a war such as the Biafra war. The first person coming from the Biafra, and the second coming from another region of Nigeria. When a journalist ask the second person what really happened during the Biafra war he replies that it have been caused because of the fact that the Hausa wanted to monopolize the country since most of the country economy come from the North, however the first person being a Hausa explains that the war is caused by the fact that the Igbo want to keep all the country oil by been independent of the rest of the country. When explaining a situation that happened in the past, which is what historians do, it is more influenced by perspective or point of view than math or science. Another prime example is the current financial crisis. When a person is explaining how the current financial crisis came to be, an upper-class businessman may blame the consumers for buying houses that they knew they could not afford. However, a citizen whose home is being foreclosed may explain that the banks caused the crisis through poor lending procedures. Both “explain” the reasons for the financial crisis in different ways when in reality it is most likely a mix of different causes. This perfectly show how the ends overall, history, or past events, can easily be explained by anyone, but the answers and the means of finding the answer relies heavily on point of view.
It can be established that when explaining math a mathematician can use concrete examples to explain, and historians can use perspective and recollections of the past to explain, but the field of science combines the two.
Some aspects of science can be proven through concrete evidence, such as how cells function. We can put cells under a light or electron microscope and see how they function. We can test hypothesis, and find concrete answers through experimentation. For example, let us assume that a child does not know that plants need light to survive. But when the child puts a plant in his or her closet and the plant dies they then have gained the knowledge that plants cannot live without sunlight. This gives them concrete evidence that they can use to “explain” to their friends that plants need light to survive. So some of the explanations of science can not be argued, but what about controversial topics such as the origin of the universe? Some scientist argue the universe started with the Big Bang, whereas others people argue that God created the world in seven days. Although the latter theory is losing traction with public opinion, there is no way to absolutely prove that either theory is correct. And although both opinions have their supposed evidence, (the Big Bang is supported by radio waves, and the God theory is supported by the Bible,) but there is still no absolute way to prove that God exist, or that all of the “something” that surrounds us all came from “nothing.” Therefore, scientist can use the scientific method to provide concrete explanations to problems and questions, but they can not explain everything using commonly accepted knowledge. Some of the theories, such as how the universe was created, can only be explained through personal
interpretation.
Mathematicians, historians and scientists are trying to explain by using establish facts, but in a different way.
and never change. Science is somewhat strong, but is subject to opinion to a certain extent, and history is the most flexible and easy to explain because of the fact that it is much more subject to interpretation than mathematics or science.
Math deals with deriving a "proof" to explain something, to show that it has a factual basis. It is not as open to interpretation as history or science. Mathematic questions only have one correct answer, even though there may be many ways to go about solving them. For example, if I had to solve or simplify the following equation It is possible to make use of the Pascal’s Triangle or factoring to “explain” how to find the answer: (x+a)^3
Factoring- (x+a)(x+a)=x^2+2ax+a^2 times (x+a)= x^3+3a^x+3ax^2+a^3
Pascal’s Triangle-
1
11
121
1331
1(x)^3(a)^0+3(x)^2(a)^1+3(x)^2(a)^2+1(x)^0(a)^3
or
^3+3a^x+3ax^2+a^3
As we can observe, even though there are two ways to explain how to solve this problem, there is only one answer to a question. So in math when explaining how to obtain an answer one has to go into detail about the way of solving it. The mathematician must justify the ends by explaining the means. For example: It is common knowledge that 2+2=4, but how do we know that this is true? Why can 2+2 not equal 5? Now, a mathematician could explain that the plus sign means addition, which in turn means to add together. But why is that? Why does “+” mean to add? The answer is axioms. Axioms are certain assumptions and definitions that are commonly accepted, and known to be true. It is an axiom that addition, (as notated by the + sign,) means to add two values together, and the integer 2 plus another integer 2 makes the integer 4. Therefore, 2+2=4. So in math axioms are needed to explain answers because there is only one correct answer to a mathematical problem, and although there may be different ways of viewing the problem the answer is always the same. The means to solve a mathematical problem can only be explained through commonly accepted definitions.
Now, while mathematics has one clear answer to a question that can be explained through the use of axioms, history is much more subject to interpretation. When explaining history it is from the explainer’s point of view. The historians explain how we have gotten to where we are, and they explain how history can be used to navigate us into the future. It is alike math in that there is an answer, but the way to the answer is all based upon interpretation of the past.
For example, two people witness a war such as the Biafra war. The first person coming from the Biafra, and the second coming from another region of Nigeria. When a journalist ask the second person what really happened during the Biafra war he replies that it have been caused because of the fact that the Hausa wanted to monopolize the country since most of the country economy come from the North, however the first person being a Hausa explains that the war is caused by the fact that the Igbo want to keep all the country oil by been independent of the rest of the country. When explaining a situation that happened in the past, which is what historians do, it is more influenced by perspective or point of view than math or science. Another prime example is the current financial crisis. When a person is explaining how the current financial crisis came to be, an upper-class businessman may blame the consumers for buying houses that they knew they could not afford. However, a citizen whose home is being foreclosed may explain that the banks caused the crisis through poor lending procedures. Both “explain” the reasons for the financial crisis in different ways when in reality it is most likely a mix of different causes. This perfectly show how the ends overall, history, or past events, can easily be explained by anyone, but the answers and the means of finding the answer relies heavily on point of view.
It can be established that when explaining math a mathematician can use concrete examples to explain, and historians can use perspective and recollections of the past to explain, but the field of science combines the two.
Some aspects of science can be proven through concrete evidence, such as how cells function. We can put cells under a light or electron microscope and see how they function. We can test hypothesis, and find concrete answers through experimentation. For example, let us assume that a child does not know that plants need light to survive. But when the child puts a plant in his or her closet and the plant dies they then have gained the knowledge that plants cannot live without sunlight. This gives them concrete evidence that they can use to “explain” to their friends that plants need light to survive. So some of the explanations of science can not be argued, but what about controversial topics such as the origin of the universe? Some scientist argue the universe started with the Big Bang, whereas others people argue that God created the world in seven days. Although the latter theory is losing traction with public opinion, there is no way to absolutely prove that either theory is correct. And although both opinions have their supposed evidence, (the Big Bang is supported by radio waves, and the God theory is supported by the Bible,) but there is still no absolute way to prove that God exist, or that all of the “something” that surrounds us all came from “nothing.” Therefore, scientist can use the scientific method to provide concrete explanations to problems and questions, but they can not explain everything using commonly accepted knowledge. Some of the theories, such as how the universe was created, can only be explained through personal
interpretation.
Mathematicians, historians and scientists are trying to explain by using establish facts, but in a different way.