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=0.1 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_05,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 109fba,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public From: Volker Hetzer Subject: Re: Software Engineering and Dreamers Date: 1997/06/06 Message-ID: <33983ABE.26B2@sni.de>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 246578202 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> Organization: Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-06-06T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Mathew Hendry wrote: > > In comp.lang.c++ John Winters wrote: > : In article <19970602.562B58.2B32@ai110.du.pipex.com>, > : Mathew Hendry wrote: > : >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. My understanding of "explanatory power" is how much things get explained how simple. This basically boils down to what he said plus occams razor. > > : >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. And it's not enough to make predictions, you also have to explain why, according to your theory, the prediction should be true. So, just think about some crocodilic reasons for orbits, about what keeps your crocodiles behind the planets (gravity/centrifugal forces are conventional theory), what they feed on, how they push the planets while feeding,... And then we will try to devise tests of your theory. Or check it against more fundamental theories. Volker