
Originally Posted by
Maartenn100
If you can't, then my theory is true. (if you cannot falsify it with arguments to the contrary).
Just in case the casual reader (1) thinks the "unicorns" example was just "silly" and shouldn't be taken seriously (2) it may be worth explaining in a bit more detail why this is a fallacious argument.
Firstly, if it were a logical argument, then it should apply to existing science as well (3) but Maartenn has made no effort to show that existing theories are wrong therefore, by his logic, they must be true.
Secondly, there are, on this and every other science forum, an endless stream of people claiming to have a new theory of x, y or z. They all believe that they are right and all say, "prove me wrong". They can't all be right (after all, many of them contradict one another). We need some way of deciding which are possibly correct and which aren't (4).
Finally, there are an infinite number of ideas one can invent that cannot be proved false. Again, not being able to prove something false does not make it true.
And, of course, it is easy to demonstrate that Maartenn's idea doesn't work (5) based on existing theory, simple mathematics and/or evidence.
The scientific approach is not "prove me wrong" but, "I wonder what will prove me wrong." Scientists are, by inclination and by training imaginative and like to "think outside the box". However, they are also trained to test every idea so they know that 99% of the ideas they have can be dismissed with a very quick test. Unfortunately, people like Maartenn are both unable and unwilling to take that step. They have had an idea and therefore it must be correct.
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(1) There is no point addressing Maartenn, he has already made his mind up and nothing will change it.
(2) It is exactly as silly as Maartenn's idea, but that may not be obvious to all.
(3) The idea of falsifiability, as proposed by Popper, is in fact one part of the scientific method. So a scientific theory needs to be consistent and supported by evidence. But it only requires a single piece of evidence to prove it wrong. However, many facts you have supporting a theory, you can never "prove" it to be correct. The best you can say of a scientific theory is that it appears to be correct and hasn't been falsified yet.
(4) Something like the scientific method, perhaps?
(5) Although, obviously, he will never accept this.