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> If I say that an airplane functions on fairy dust and you make an argument about propulsion and lift, and you claim that my assertion is wrong because ...

The only reason "science" would claim that your assertion is wrong is if your explanation doesn't agree with reality.

However, if you collect a bunch of data that you say supports your theory, but your experimental technique or data analysis is not good, then it's perfectly reasonable to point out the problems and say that your result is not supported by your procedure. This is not the same as saying that your assertion is wrong.

Another important concept that you're missing is usefulness: your assertion is unlikely to be useful (this is totally different from whether it's correct). Let's say you want to ensure that planes don't fall out of the air: how would you take advantage of your assertion to do this? (My proxy for usefulness is falsifiability -- un-falsifiable theories often are useless)



"The only reason "science" would claim that your assertion is wrong is if your explanation doesn't agree with reality."

Your statement is a circular reference to the problem of induction. You arbitrarily claim to be able to make accurate assertions of reality while at the same time agreeing that the essence of reality is unknowable.

This reply of yours is full of circular reasoning. Stop using the word good without making your case for righteousness. You can't substitute it with practical or useful either, both infer benefit at the personal degree.

Just because an expectation proved to be useful once, remember that the past does not predict the future.

"Belief in the Causal Nexus is superstition"


Oops, instead of "reality" I meant "experimental observations". Good catch.

> You arbitrarily claim to be able to make accurate assertions of reality

Nope.

> while at the same time agreeing that the essence of reality is unknowable.

Yep. I guess? All I think is that it's okay if we don't know the true essence; science is still useful[0].

> Stop using the word good without making your case for righteousness.

Stop hijacking common words.

> You can't substitute it with practical or useful either, both infer benefit at the personal degree.

I don't know what that means.

> Just because an expectation proved to be useful once, remember that the past does not predict the future.

Depends what you mean by predict the future. Absolute truth? No. Useful[0] forecasts? Yes.

----

[0] dictionary.reference.com:

> useful: being of use or service; serving some purpose; advantageous, helpful, or of good effect




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