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All 8 Flashcards — Falsification
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Question
Falsifiability (Popper)?
Answer
A theory is scientific only if it could, in principle, be shown false — you can say what would prove it wrong.
Question
Why are confirmations 'cheap'?
Answer
No pile of confirmations proves a general law true, but one counter-example shows it false — like a single black swan.
Question
Conjecture and refutation?
Answer
Science advances by bold, risky guesses that scientists then try hard to break — not by piling up supporting evidence.
Question
Why is Einstein's theory scientific for Popper?
Answer
It made a bold, precise prediction (starlight bending near the Sun) that the 1919 eclipse could easily have shown false.
Question
Why isn't astrology scientific for Popper?
Answer
Whatever happens it fits, and failures get excused — nothing could ever prove it wrong, so it risks nothing.
Question
One problem for falsification?
Answer
A failed test might blame a faulty instrument, not the theory — so scientists rightly don't drop a theory at the first bad result.
Question
Ad-hoc rescue (Go further)?
Answer
Adding a fix to save a theory from a failure; fine only if it makes a NEW risky prediction (Neptune) — bad if it just explains failure away.
Question
Popper's mark of science in one word?
Answer
Risk — a scientific theory forbids something and dares the world to prove it wrong.
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Topic 6.1 hub
Nature and methodologies of science
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