Tag Archives: Scientific theory

What do scientific theories actually tell us about the world?

Posted on February 9, 2017 by

One of the things that’s exciting about learning new things, is that often a new understanding in one area sheds light on what might seem like a completely separate topic.  For me, information about how the brain works appears to have shed … Continue reading →

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Falsifiability is useful, but a matter of judgment

Posted on January 20, 2014 by

Our discussions last week on Jim Baggott’s book, ‘Farewell to Reality’, and Sean Carroll’s Edge response, left me pondering falsifiability, the idea that theories should be falsifiable in order to be considered science. Falsifiability is a criteria identified by the … Continue reading →

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Ask Ethan #17: The Burden of Proof – Starts With A Bang

Posted on December 28, 2013 by

Perhaps no word in the English language generates as much misunderstanding as the word theory. In scientific circles, this word has a very specific meaning that’s different from everyday use, and — as a theoretical astrophysicist myself — I feel … Continue reading →

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