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Yes there is. Models can be disproved by empiricism without needing another model. However, even if a model doesn't work all the time, it doesn't mean it is us
by yxhuvud 11y ago
Yes there is. Models can be disproved by empiricism without needing another model.
However, even if a model doesn't work all the time, it doesn't mean it is useless for prediction. Newtons laws is still in use, for example.
- Retra 11y agoNewton's laws weren't disproved, they were just shown to be less general than originally assumed. Quantum theories usually assume Newton's laws to be true axiomatically, otherwise the quantum theory would be under-specified and practically useless.
- darkmighty 11y agoHe means the most common definition of truth is 'The best predictive model' (in the scope of the problem). I would add the principle of parsimony, truth is 'The simplest available formulation of the best predictive model'. In both cases you cannot know that no better predictive models exists (and hence if your truth is absolute), even if you experimental error is zero (which is essentially impossible in most sciences unless you grossly overfit), since there may be unobserved phenomena as well.