A theory BEHAVES?

[optimistic pessimist]

Dear all,

"Newton's second law of motion behaves for those committed to Newton's theory very much like a purely logical statement that no amount of observation could prove wrong..."

Do you use "behave" for a theory in physics? What does it mean? Or is it just personified? Or a typo?

Thank you!

OP

[SoothingDave]

Personification. Also a bit of shorthand. The theory doesn't actually behave. If anything, physical objects behave in the way the theory would describe them behaving.

[bhaisahab]

Thanks for that.

[Raymott]

The theory doesn't actually behave. If anything, physical objects behave in the way the theory would describe them behaving.

But this is not a statement about objects. It's about the theory. The theory behaves "very much like a purely logical statement". The meaning is not that physical objects behave like logical statements.
Also, I'm not really sure it's personification. I think the statement, "An apple on a piece of string behaves like a pendulum" is literal. And one could conceive of a theory behaving in certain typical ways. So I don't have a problem with the original sentence.

[optimistic pessimist]

Dear all,

SoothingDave, bhaisahab, Raymott, thanks for your replies

Now I know it's not a usual way of using "behave".

If you paraphrase it in the context, how would you do that?

My best guess is "exist". Is it close?

Thank you"

OP

[Tdol]

I think it's more like works/functions than exists- the believers take it as a fact and their belief will not be shaken by any observation that questions its accuracy.