[ RadSafe ] calculus based physics (hormesis), idiomatic "day"

[Steven Dapra]

Nov. 3

         On falsifiability, see Michael Ruse, "Falsifiability, 
Consilience, and Systematics" in Systematic Zoology 28(4):530-536; Dec. 1979.

         On p. 531, Ruse writes, "The trouble with Popper's position 
is that both descriptively and prescriptively it will not do 
[footnote omitted].  There have been many great scientific theories 
which have existed, been accepted, and been used for ages, although 
there were known falsifying or anomalous facts. . . .  And yet 
scientists have not thrown out their theories, simply because some of 
the facts were against them.  They refused to let their theories be 
falsified.  . . . .  Often, if not normally, the proper scientific 
strategy is to continue with the theory, and to try to work around 
the falsifying data --- by showing the data not to be all that it 
appears, by inventing ad hoc hypotheses to explain away the data, or 
if worse comes to worst, by ignoring the data and hoping that some 
day it will go away.  [citations omitted]

         For those who are not familiar with Michael Ruse, he is a 
rabid Darwinist.  I am quoting directly from his paper, and have read 
it several times.

         Falsifiability may not be what it's all cracked up to 
be.  Furthermore, in practical terms, the word science has been 
re-defined to mean anything that supports 'slime to sapiens' evolution.

Steven Dapra



At 10:38 AM 11/3/2010, you wrote:
>Karl Popper addresses "dogma" as "axiom" as he develops his 
>'criterion of demarcation' that would work well keeping 
>normative/prescriptive statements off the RadSafe list.  If it ain't 
>'falsifiable' then it ain't scientific and has no truth value.

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