View Single Post
  #8  
Old 10-12-2007, 02:42 PM
tame_deuces tame_deuces is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,494
Default Re: why does this forum care so much about religion

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One might even say that science _being_ arguable makes it what it is.

[/ QUOTE ]

Point is...Try and make a point to a scientist and he will ask for rigorous proof. Not arguable diatribes.

pokervintage

[/ QUOTE ]

It is actually quite amazing how much science is based not on rigorous proof, but sufficient proof - or probable proof.

And actually in a few cases you have examples where it is based on flawed proof, improbable proof and sometimes bad proof that you expect will get better (the hubble constant is a classic example of the last one).

It doesn't mean these cases are bad per se, sometimes it is just necessary to have somewhere to start with and at other times the models you get will have good predictive value still.

The important thing is that science is (ideally) in the cases where these things are done, aware of it in method. Iow. that the scientists know what they are using and why. This is the 'scientific' approach that is so important.

A simple analogy would be for instance if you were go shopping, and you want strawberries. But it is out of season so you don't remember how much they are. You assume they will be something along the lines of what they cost last winter + the normal increase in price. It isn't foolproof, not does it necessarily exact - but until you can expand on your knowledge (was it a good harvest/bad harvest, has there been strikes, is strawberries popular or not this year, how does the prize differ from store to store etc.) it it is 'good enough' and the predictive value is good.
Reply With Quote