underscored — Underscored

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It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena. We ought to accept a theory if it predicts things which observation subsequently confirms, and if no rival theory is equally successful.
— William Whewell, The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences (1840)

1mo ago

The human understanding is no dry light, but receives an infusion from the will and affections; whence proceed sciences which may be called 'sciences as one would.' For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes.

3mo ago

dwarkesh.com

Michael Nielsen – How science actually progresses

Clearly human science is able to make progress faster than raw experimental falsification/verification would imply, and in cases where experiments are very ambiguous.

3mo ago

dwarkesh.com

Terence Tao – Kepler, Newton, and the true nature of mathematical discovery

But the story of how we discovered the shape of our solar system shows how the verification loop for correct ideas can be decades (or even millennia) long. During this time, what we know today as the better theory can often actually make worse predictions (Copernicus's model of circular orbits around the sun was actually less accurate than Ptolemy's geocentric model).

3mo ago

Underscored — save the words that stop you in your tracks.

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