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[Phys-l] Science, verification and proving



Hi,

I had recently a discussion on science and physics with a teacher who apparently had no background in science. He said that you should never say "science has proven that...". I proposed that one could talk about verification of predictions of a theory. In physics this means that an experimental result matches with the theoretical prediction within uncertainty limits. However, one might argue that the theory itself was not proven whereas one could say that theory is validated by experimental evidence. The concept of proof would in this scenario be reserved to mathematics and logic.

I quite often hear another claim: science changes all the time so who knows, perhaps everything is different in future. My response is that, yes, there will be better theories in future. Then again, technology based on science we have now does not cease to work and well checked empirical results are not likely to be false. We have not abandoned Newtonian mechanics even though we know that relativity theory is a more accurate description of nature. The point is to know the limits of validity of a theory with respect to the accuracy of measurements we want to make. This is not to say that a conceptual framework in which the empiria is interpreted can be very different.


So...what do you think about science, verification and proof?

Best wishes,

Antti


Antti Savinainen, Ph.D., B.Ed.
Adjunct Professor (University of Jyväskylä)
Senior Lecturer in Physics and Mathematics
Kuopion Lyseo High School
Finland
E-mail: <antti.savinainen@kuopio.fi>
Website: <http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/savant/>


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