Problems With the Scientific Method

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by TruthSeeker, Jun 5, 2007.

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What are the problems with the scientific method?

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  1. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    You'll be sorry you asked:



    False = P(!True)



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  3. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    So if something is false, there is a probability that it could be true?

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    So what exactly is science dealing with?
     
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  5. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    Sure! You seem to think there is such a thing as absolute truth or falsity. Interesting.

    Likelyhoods, probabilities, refinement, shake well, repeat.
     
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  7. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

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    11,888
    Hi Supes, long time no see.
    If I may, I think I can see where both you and Sam are coming from. (Or maybe not)

    It's spherical or not. The degree of sphericity is subject to variation. When is sphere not a sphere.

    Black holes exist or they do not. Our knowledge of this truth is uncertain.

    Again, it does or it does not, our certainty of this is less than 100%.

    Sam, yes or no?
    Supes, yes or no?
     
  8. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    So science deals in assumptions, probabilities and inferences, not truth or falsehood. Which is what I said.:shrug:
     
  9. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    You have to define truth first.

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  10. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

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    IS or IS NOT?
     
  11. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Thats what I thought.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satya
     
  12. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    10,876
    Not quite. You are missing the fact that science needs to come to at least provisional conclusions about a given thing, otherwise there would never be a growing foundation of results to build on. Those conclusions are TRUE or FALSE based on probabilities and inferences.

    Science must deal in the level of confidence or certainty of things, just like everyone else.
     
  13. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    72,825
    you're still talking about assumptions leading from inferences and inferences based on those assumptions.:bugeye:
     
  14. Kubex Isn't personal. Just gravity. Registered Senior Member

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    Clinical trials, no matter how painstakingly conducted, still isolate subjects into a controlled study. An isolated study, though informative, cannot field every situation, just as you posit regarding statistical method.
    However, I think that one of the more common flaws in clinical research is that they are treating a symptom more than they are a condition and vise versa. In this light, a great many factors can come into play, including incidences where a condition is detected and treated as a symptom, and where a symptom is a detected and treated as a condition.

    Inaccurate correlations occur way too often in statistical research, resulting in confusion as well as adverse events in a patient's or subject's health.
     
  15. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    Hey Oli.

    Yes, you are correct. These are binary propositions, yes? Clearly science deals with the truth or falsity of binary propositions.

    Crap. Now I'm not sure what I was getting at...
     
  16. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    No!

    I think we just settled the issue of whether science deals in truth or falsity above. A scientist will tell you that it is absolutely true that the earth is spherical.

    I suggest we agree that science accepts the truth or falsity of demonstrable binary propositions, and assigns a degree of certainty to everything else.

    Yes?
     
  17. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Is that a true no/yes? or a true = P(!F) no/yes?
     
  18. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    It's a query regarding the degree of certainty you would assign to the preceding proposition.

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    :m:
     
  19. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

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    I should have gone to bed.

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    I know what you both mean I think, and I can't find the words.

    What isn't a binary proposition?
    Electrons exist or they do not.
    Our knowledge of their behaviour/ properties is subject to statistical uncertainty.
    Erm. Do they exist, or are they only a way we have of explaining things?

    I may go to bed. And not sleep.

    More coffee, first.
     
  20. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Sounds good, brb.
     
  21. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    At what level of significance?

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  22. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    Hmmm...

    Maybe an example.

    Quantum mechanics is probably the most wildly successful theory in human history. It predicts the behavior of everything but gravity. So you could say that QM is a true representation of nature. But 100% true? Could there be a better, more refined truth?

    Newtonian mechanics is true. Except in high gravity or at high relative speeds. Then it's superseeded by general or special relativity.

    I will stick to my "truth is provisional" idea regarding such non-binary questions.
     
  23. superluminal I am MalcomR Valued Senior Member

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    << S:0.0001766

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