Falsification in our exampleIt is easier to claim with certainty that a model is incorrect , than correct. If from a model we can predict certain things and they are fulfilled in a new situation, then the model can be correct, but there can be other explanations that predict the same occurrence. One of them can be right. Whereas if a model predicts certain occurrences that are not fulfilled, then the model must be incorrect, it could not explain what happened. The purpose of the scientific procedure that we have described here was to demonstrate an incorrect model. One knows if a model is incorrect if its predictions are not fulfilled. This method is known as falsification. A simple example of falsificationAlong the same beach, red algae always grows deeper than green algae". It is difficult to know if this statement is true. The only thing we know for sure is that red algae always grows deeper than green algae when all beaches have been controlled, but to control all beaches is an impossible task. This difficulty does not exist when we have knowledge of that the assertion is incorrect. If we find one or several beaches where at least one red alga grows more shallow than a green alga, we can conclude that the statement that all red algae grow deeper than green algae is incorrect.
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Scientific procedure | |||||
Observations and models | |||||
Falsification | |||||
Hypotheses and predictions | |||||
Experiments | |||||
Controls | |||||
Replication | |||||
Null hypothesis | |||||
Temporarily valid | |||||
Facts in Aquascope | |||||