Science 240 Fall 1998

The Nature Of Scientific Thought

The Logic of the Standard Hypothetico-Deductive Model of Hypothesis Testing

(New material not on the Outline for Lecture #3)

1. Why a Hypothesis Can Not be Logically Disproven
   1. Example of the search for solar neutrinos
   2. Applies even to the most low level hypothesis: All healthy dogs eat meat.
2. Problems for Confirmation
   1. The Problem of alternative explanations
   2. The Problem due to generality
3. The Duhemian-Quine Thesis
   1. Statement of the thesis
   2. Duhemian Conclusions
      • What does a failed prediction show?
      • What does a correct prediction show?