Monday, July 27, 2009

Philosophy of Science

If you keep this simple advice in mind, you will save yourself from wasting a lot of time:

If it can't be proven wrong, than there is no point in thinking about it.

For example, it is impossible to prove that there is not an invisible fairy flying around your head right now.  No matter how hard you try or how much you think about it, you cannot disprove the existence of the fairy.  So there is no point thinking about the issue.

Real science makes predictions that can be tested.  Real science says, 'If this theory is correct, we will observe X.'  If something cannot be used to predict the future or guide the engineering of something useful, then it is not science.  You can think about it if you gain pleasure from doing so, but do not expect other people to take it seriously.

No comments: