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> Science—that is, reliable methods for obtaining knowledge I really dislike this definition of science. Science is about making accurate predictions about th
by Xcelerate 10y ago
> Science—that is, reliable methods for obtaining knowledge
I really dislike this definition of science. Science is about making accurate predictions about the future (even if those future predictions concern the accuracy of past events). Predictivity is the defining feature of science, because without it, science may as well be any other subject. The Wikipedia definition is much better, because it incorporates the utility of knowledge but emphasizes the key role of prediction:
> Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
- bagrow 10y agoI disagree about the emphasis on prediction. Science involves predictions, but it does not involve only predictions. Chaos theory, for example, shows that physical, deterministic systems can be rigorously understood while prediction is (approximately) impossible. Likewise, you can make predictions without understanding, with sufficiently advanced machine learning (interpretability vs. flexibility).