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What happens when we can’t test scientific theories?

The limits of knowledge

by Frank Close / May 21, 2015 / Leave a comment
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Published in June 2015 issue of Prospect Magazine
Multiverse theory posits "a kaleidoscope... of myriad universes"

Multiverse theory posits “a kaleidoscope… of myriad universes”

Read AC Grayling unpacking the philosophy behind experimentation

If a scientific theory is elegant, and is consistent with known facts, does it need to be tested by experiment? Scientific knowledge is supposed to be empirical: to be accepted as scientific, a theory must be falsifiable—that is, it must be possible, at least in principle, to empirically disprove it. This argument was advanced in 1934 by Karl Popper, the philosopher, and is generally accepted by most scientists today as determining what is and is not a scientific theory.

In recent years, however, many physicists have developed theories of great mathematical elegance, but which are beyond the reach of empirical falsification, even in principle. The uncomfortable question that arises is whether they can still be regarded as science. Some scientists are proposing that the definition of what is “scientific” be loosened, while others fear that to do so could open the door for pseudo-scientists or charlatans to mislead the public and claim equal space for their views.

The question of whether highly theoretical scientific ideas can be subjected to experimental testing is an issue for the most advanced and powerful ideas in the world of physics. String theory and the idea of the “multiverse”—the existence of multiple universes—are two leading theories that attempt to explain the most fundamental characteristics of the physical world. Both ideas have immense theoretical appeal. String theory is not intrinsically untestable—…

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Comments

  1. David Brown
    May 28, 2015 at 14:10
    "Multiverse theory presents apparently insuperable obstacles to experiment ..." I disagree. Replace the -1/2 in the standard form of Einstein's field equations by -1/2 + dark-matter-compensation-constant, where this constant is approximately sqrt((60±10)/4) * 10^-5 — according to the Gravity Probe B science team, the preceding idea is empirically wrong. I claim that the 4 ultra-precise gyroscopes worked correctly and the Gravity Probe B science team ignored Milgrom's MOND and erroneously assumed that Newton's law of gravity is 100% correct in the non-relativistic approximation. Google "witten milgrom" for my viewpoint.

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Frank Close
Frank Close is professor of physics at the University of Oxford
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