Gedankenexperiment

thought experiment

noun VAY-lye-dikh-kite Rare

Also means

mental experiment

Usage Note

Gedankenexperiment is the standard term for a thought experiment -- a hypothetical scenario explored purely through reasoning. Einstein's relativity thought experiments (Gedankenexperimente) are the best-known examples. Widely used in philosophy and science journalism.

Examples

"Stell dir dieses Gedankenexperiment vor: Du stehst an einer Weiche ..."

Natural Translation

Imagine this thought experiment: you are standing at a junction ...

Literal Translation

Imagine yourself this thought-experiment: you stand at a switch ...

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