thought experiment

noun

1. Physics. a demonstration or calculation that is based on the postulates of a theory, as relativity, and that demonstrates or clarifies the consequences of the postulates.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thought experiment¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Frustrated by this hype, Emily Bender, a linguist at the University of Washington, has developed a thought experiment she calls the octopus test.

From MIT Technology Review

This is all speculative, of course, but an interesting thought experiment to help us imagine a search world that we want to live in and figure out ways to get there.

From Search Engine Land

In the thought experiment, Maxwell imagined splitting a room full of gas into two compartments by erecting a wall with a small door.

From Nautilus

A thought experiment devised by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1867 stumped scientists for 115 years.

From Quanta Magazine

So in our thought experiment, if Maclean had to endorse either alcohol or marijuana.

From Freakonomics

Every time I run that thought experiment, it ends up with handcuffs and jail time for the black kids, if not worse.

From The Daily Beast

What's an example of a scene or a moment that triggered that kind of thought experiment?

From The Daily Beast

As you can see, in our thought experiment higher interest rates take a big chunk out of housing prices.

From The Daily Beast

Imagine a thought experiment, in which Walmart agreed to pay marginally higher wages across the board.

From The Daily Beast

Grossman has a name for the kind of person who sees the gun as protector in the opening thought experiment: sheepdog.

From The Daily Beast