From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public From: scampi@dial.pipex.com (Mathew Hendry) Subject: Re: Software Engineering and Dreamers Date: 1997/06/02 Message-ID: <19970602.433020.144E5@ai078.du.pipex.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 245904922 Distribution: world References: <5mmvgj$61k@squire.cen.brad.ac.uk> <19970602.562B58.2B32@ai110.du.pipex.com> <5n1261$qj6@polo.demon.co.uk> Organization: private node Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-06-02T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In comp.lang.c++ John Winters wrote: : In article <19970602.562B58.2B32@ai110.du.pipex.com>, : Mathew Hendry wrote: : >In comp.lang.c++, dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) wrote: : > : >: capital T. Science is about constructing theories that are consistent : >: with observations, and which have the capability of predicting the : >: outcome of observations not yet made. : > : >Imagine that you have produced a theory about the movements of the planets, : >basing it upon Newtonian dynamics. I provide a competing theory, based upon : >the exploits of invisible crocodiles. : > : >The two theories give exactly the same predictions. : > : >Given your claim that theories are judged only on their consistency with : >observations, : Errr, what else do you imagine they could be judged on? On their explanatory power. : >how do you choose between these two theories? : You devise tests which should produce different results depending on : which of the two theories is true. Then you apply the tests, observe : the results and discard whichever theories are disproven. Since the above theories make the same predictions, no experimental test can distinguish between them. And yet no right-minded scientist would believe my crocodile theory. Why not? -- Mat.