Large swaths of geology, paleoclimatology, and paleobiology aren’t falsifiable because they rely on natural experiments. There’s no null model for planet Earth.
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Could you help me understand this perspective better? e.g. The K/Pg boundary, in my lifetime we've gone from "crazy idea about meteors" to "tiny glass shock quartz baubles ingested by creatures after the impact" - falsifiability depends on context, evidence & evolution of frameworks of understanding
Michael Gordin explains why falsifiability failed in practice as a way to demarcate science and pseudoscience. First, it is difficult to know when a theory is falsified. Second, this definition excludes some sciences and includes some pseudosciences.
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Is there another, better one?
1. A tendency to invoke ad hoc hypotheses.
2. An absence of self-correction.
3. An emphasis on confirmation rather than refutation.
5. Excessive reliance on anecdotal and testimonial evidence to substantiate claims.
6. Avoidance of peer review.
7. Failure to build upon existing scientific knowledge.
8. Use of scientific-sounding jargon.
10. A failure to progress over time despite additional research.
He emphasized that no single warning sign by itself was sufficient.
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-10-commandments-of-helping-students-distinguish-science-from-pseudoscience-in-psychology.
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/michael-d-gordin-fate-falsification/