thought experiment

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noun

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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called Gedanken experiment.

Origin of thought experiment

First recorded in 1940–45

Words nearby thought experiment

Thotmes III, thou, though, thought, thought disorder, thought experiment, thoughtful, thoughtfulness, thought leader, thoughtless, thought-out

How to use thought experiment in a sentence

Frustrated by this hype, Emily Bender, a linguist at the University of Washington, has developed a thought experiment she calls the octopus test.
What would it be like to be a conscious AI? We might never know.|Will Douglas Heaven|August 25, 2021|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.
Would your job be easier or more difficult if Google wasn’t the dominant platform?; Thursday’s daily brief|George Nguyen|July 15, 2021|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.
How Maxwell’s Demon Continues to Startle Scientists - Facts So Romantic|Jonathan O'Callaghan|April 29, 2021|Nautilus
A thought experiment devised by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1867 stumped scientists for 115 years.
How Maxwell’s Demon Continues to Startle Scientists|Jonathan O'Callaghan|April 22, 2021|Quanta Magazine

So in our thought experiment, if Maclean had to endorse either alcohol or marijuana.
Let’s Be Blunt: Marijuana Is a Boon for Older Workers (Ep. 459)|Stephen J. Dubner|April 22, 2021|Freakonomics
Every time I run that thought experiment, it ends up with handcuffs and jail time for the black kids, if not worse.
The Progressive White Guy's Guide to Privilege|Andy Hinds|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What's an example of a scene or a moment that triggered that kind of thought experiment?
‘The Americans’ Showrunners Dissect the Secrets of Season 2|Andrew Romano|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As you can see, in our thought experiment higher interest rates take a big chunk out of housing prices.
Mortgage Rates Are Rising. Will the Housing Recovery Falter?|Megan McArdle|June 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Imagine a thought experiment, in which Walmart agreed to pay marginally higher wages across the board.
Sad Face at Walmart|Daniel Gross|May 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Grossman has a name for the kind of person who sees the gun as protector in the opening thought experiment: sheepdog.
In Defense of a Good Guy With a Gun|Brian Castner|April 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST