An example of an analogy used in the development of science:
"…Einstein formulated general statistical rules regarding the occurrence of radiative transitions between stationary states, assuming not only that, when the atom is exposed to a radiation field, absorption as well as emission processes will occur with a probability per unit time proportional to the intensity of the irradiation, but that even in the absence of external disturbances spontaneous emission processes will take place with a rate corresponding to a certain a priori probability, Regarding the latter point, Einstein emphasised the fundamental character of the statistical description in a most suggestive way by drawing attention to the analogy between assumptions regarding the occurrence of the spontaneous radiative transitions and the well-known laws governing transformations of radioactive substances."
Neils Bohr (2010) Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge (first published 1961). Dover Publications, Inc.
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