In the Beginning was Information

tists regard these laws as being what they are: Formulationsderived from our experiences, tested, tempered and confirmedthrough theoretical predictions and in new situations. Togetherwith subsequent improvements, the formulations would only beaccepted as long as they are suitable and useful for the systematisation,explanation and understanding of natural phenomena.”N2: The Laws of nature are universally valid. The theorem ofthe unity of nature is an important scientific law. This means that thevalidity of the laws of nature is not restricted to a certain limitedspace or time. Such a law is universally valid in the sense that itholds for an unlimited number of single cases. The infinitude ofthese single cases can never be exhausted by our observations. Aclaim of universal validity for an indefinite number of cases canimmediately be rejected when one single counter example is found 5 .In our three-dimensional world the known laws of nature are universallyvalid, and this validity extends beyond the confines of theearth out through the entire physical universe, according to astronomicalfindings. When the first voyages to the moon wereplanned, it was logically assumed that the laws identified and for-5 Amendments to formulated laws of nature: An established natural law losesits universal validity when one single counter example is found. However, it isoften only necessary to change the formulation to describe the actual law moreprecisely. We should therefore distinguish between the actual law as it operatesin nature, and its formulation in human terms. More precise formulations do notinvalidate an “approximately formulated law”, but do provide a better descriptionof reality. In the following two cases the original formulations were too narrow,and had to be revised:28Example 1: The classical laws of mechanics lost their validity when appreciablefractions of the speed of light were involved. They were extended by the moreprecise special theory of relativity, because the relativistic effects could not beobserved when velocities were small. The laws of classical mechanics area good enough approximation for general purposes (e.g. construction ofmachines), but, strictly speaking, their original formulations were incorrect.Example 2: The law of conservation of mass had to be reformulated to becomea general law of the conservation of mass and energy, when nuclear reactionswere involved (loss of mass, E = m x c 2 ). Nevertheless, the law of mass conservationis a potent law of nature.