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: 1014db,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public From: scampi@dial.pipex.com (Mathew Hendry) Subject: Re: Software Engineering and Dreamers Date: 1997/06/06 Message-ID: <19970606.49CA70.12B91@ae124.du.pipex.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 246856739 Distribution: world References: <5mmvgj$61k@squire.cen.brad.ac.uk> <19970602.562B58.2B32@ai110.du.pipex.com> <5n1261$qj6@polo.demon.co.uk> <19970602.433020.144E5@ai078.du.pipex.com> <33983ABE.26B2@sni.de> Organization: private node Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-06-06T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In comp.lang.c Volker Hetzer wrote: : Mathew Hendry wrote: : > In comp.lang.c++ John Winters wrote: : > : In article <19970602.562B58.2B32@ai110.du.pipex.com>, : > : Mathew Hendry wrote: : > : >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? : Actually, you haven't made any predictions. You only stated that your : theory : WOULD make the same predictions. It does make predictions, namely that the observable phenomenon behaves in exactly the same way as that predicted by the Newtonian theory. The crocodiles know that theory, and behave accordingly. If science were only about prediction (as has been claimed in this thread and numerous times elsewhere), the crocodile theory would be as valid as the Newtonian one. But science is not, so the crocodile theory is not. : And it's not enough to make : predictions, : you also have to explain why, according to your theory, the prediction : should be : true. Exactly. -- Mat.