On 31 Jan 1995 08:24:00 -0500,
x011 at Lehigh.EDU <x011 at Lehigh.EDU> wrote:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>A theory becomes worthless if no efforts are make to construct procedures
>to measure predictions. If a theory is correct only 10% of the time and
>there are no other models to explain the results then the poor theory will
>be the one taught in school. If hard science has rejected a topic as
>unmeasurable then the theory taught in school will be philosophical.
>Theories that are too good and not currently accepted should be suspect.
>Dogma is a theory that is no longer questioned. There should be no
>dogma.
>Ron Blue
A quick consult of Webster's:
Theory - a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body
of principles offered to explain phenomena.
Phenomena - an observable fact or event.
If a fact or event is observable it is measurable, thus a theory can be
formulated about it. If it is not observable then its existence is not
known and, therefore, no theory can be assembled. It is possible that a
theory, based on some observation, predicts the presence of presently
unknown phenomena. However, the prediction must be testable (measurable)
to verify the theory. The observation of some predicted phenomena may have
to await the development of the technology to perform the measurments, but
the predicted properties of the phenomena should give insights into the
technology needed to make the observation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert M. Caudle "If I had my life to
NAB, NIDR, NIH live over, I'd be a
Bldg. 49, Rm 1A-11 plumber."
9000 Rockville Pike A. Einstein
Bethesda, MD 20892
Caudle at yoda.nidr.nih.gov
or
Caudle at irp.nidr.nih.gov
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
