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Article 3004 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: lehman_ds@lrc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Cargo Cult Science
Message-ID: <1992Jan22.123338.137@lrc.edu>
Date: 22 Jan 92 17:33:37 GMT
References: <92Jan15.081805est.14473@neat.cs.toronto.edu> <6030@skye.ed.ac.uk> <1992Jan21.182930.8953@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>
Organization: Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC
Lines: 35

In article <1992Jan21.182930.8953@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, dlyndes@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (David Lyndes) writes:
> I apologize if I've missed anyone's response to my claim that empirical
> theories are not refutable.  Our news server went down and we lost quite
> a few postings.
> 4) I repeat my argument: Nobody (at least nobody in the news which did
>    get through to me) said anything about the auxiliary hypotheses, which
>    is where my argument gets its force.  So I should probably assume that
>    I stated my argument poorly.  I hope this version is more clear.
> 
>    A) A theory such as F = k m1 m2 / r^2 makes NO predictions whatsoever.
>    B) However, with the addition of auxiliary hypotheses predictions can
>       be made.
>    C) Auxiliary hypotheses (a.k.a. Boundary Conditions) come in two sorts:
> 
>       - Simplifying Assumptions: mostly unstated assumptions about what
>         is assumed to have no significant effect such as:  there are no
>         other planets, the planets move through a hard vacuum, there are
>         no other forces, the planets behave as point-masses,

    **- the graduate students aren't playing tricks on my equipment -**,

          God (or the devil) isn't interfering, etc.
> 
> -- 
> +-------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
> | David K. Lyndes                     | "In 50 years, if we're nice to them,  |
> | Barrios Technology                  |  computers will keep us around as     |
> | email: dlyndes@deltahp.jsc.nasa.gov |  pets." --anon.                       |
> +-------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
> | The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my employer nor of God. |
> +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
   I'm sorry to interupt this argument, but regardless if this is a valid point
or not, I think it deserves points for originality of examples. :)
    Drew Lehman
    Lehman_ds@mike.lrc.edu


