Introduction: A Tale of Two Theories
To demonstrate the synthesis engine, we use a classic example from the history of science: the debate between Geosyncline theory and Plate Tectonics. This historical conflict is an ideal test case because it involves two well-defined, opposing theories that were eventually resolved into a more comprehensive model of Earth’s geology.
This tutorial walks through how to represent these two historical theories as knowledge objects and use the synthesis engine to generate a new, unified theory.
The Competing Scientific Narratives
Geosyncline Theory (Dominant paradigm, 1850s-1960s):
- Core Idea: Mountain ranges are formed by the vertical collapse and uplift of huge troughs filled with sediment. This all happens on a static, cooling Earth.
- How it Works: The Earth’s crust wrinkles and buckles as it cools, much like the skin of a drying apple.
- Key Evidence: Geologists observed massive, thick layers of sediment in mountain ranges.
Plate Tectonics Theory (The modern paradigm, 1960s-present):
- Core Idea: The Earth’s surface is made of large, moving plates. Their interactions (colliding, separating, sliding) are what cause major geological events like earthquakes and the formation of mountains.
- How it Works: The plates “float” on the semi-molten mantle beneath them, and convection currents in the mantle cause them to move.
- Key Evidence: Evidence for seafloor spreading, patterns in earthquake locations, and the puzzle-like fit of the continents.
By feeding the core concepts of these two theories into the system, we can see how the synthesis engine attempts to create a new theory that resolves their contradictions and combines their strengths.