Falsifiability Flashcards
What is the principle of falsifiability?
For a hypothesis or theory to be considered scientific, it must be inherently disprovable.
Introduced by philosopher Karl Popper.
How does falsifiability distinguish science from pseudoscience?
Scientific theories must make predictions that can be tested and potentially proven wrong, unlike pseudoscientific claims.
Pseudoscientific claims often rely on vague assertions.
What is the role of observation in the scientific method?
The scientific method relies on observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.
Hypotheses must be testable and potentially refutable.
What happens if a hypothesis withstands repeated attempts at falsification?
It gains credibility and drives scientific progress by refining theories over time.
What is confirmation bias?
The tendency for researchers to selectively interpret data to support their preconceived notions.
Falsifiability combats confirmation bias by requiring hypotheses to be open to disproof.
How does falsifiability advance scientific knowledge?
Scientific theories evolve through falsification, leading to the development of improved models.
Give an example of a historical scientific theory that was replaced due to falsification.
Newtonian mechanics was replaced by Einstein’s theory of relativity due to discrepancies revealed in experiments.
This showed the limitations of Newtonian mechanics in explaining gravitational phenomena.
What is the significance of falsifiability in applied sciences?
Falsifiability is crucial for ensuring that only treatments supported by reliable evidence are approved for public use.
What are some challenges to falsifiability in certain scientific disciplines?
Disciplines like cosmology deal with historical events that cannot be directly tested but rely on empirical evidence.
What does Occam’s razor state?
All else being equal, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
How did Antoine Lavoisier exemplify empiricism in his work?
He used precise quantitative methods and conducted controlled experiments to gather evidence.
Lavoisier demonstrated the law of conservation of mass through careful measurement.
What was the phlogiston theory?
A hypothesis that explained combustion as the release of an unobserved substance called phlogiston.
What did Lavoisier’s oxygen theory explain?
Combustion as the combination of substances with oxygen, a measurable and observable gas.
What is enumerative induction?
A model of empirical knowledge where repeated observations lead to broad conclusions.
It is inadequate for mature scientific inquiry due to selective observation and simplistic theory formation.
What is the process of falsificationism proposed by Karl Popper?
- Propose a theory
- Test the theory
- Evaluate results
If the theory fails, it is discarded; if it passes, continue testing.
What does the term ‘auxiliary hypotheses’ refer to?
Assumptions that theories rely on to explain anomalies in observations.
How do anomalies drive scientific progress?
Anomalies can lead to novel predictions and advancements in scientific theories.
What is the conclusion regarding falsificationism and the scientific process?
Falsificationism improves upon enumerative induction but oversimplifies the scientific process, which involves ongoing research programmes and competition between rival theories.
Fill in the blank: Falsifiability is a cornerstone of scientific inquiry, ensuring that theories remain _______.
[testable, objective, and subject to revision]
