There's Really No Such Thing As Proof!
Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 @ 07:57:26 PST by infidelguy
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-- By Michabo
The only certain things in life are death and taxes, and you can avoid taxes.
Science cannot offer certainty and even the most heavily supported theories occasionally fall. Newton's Gravity was a remarkable success, backed by countless observations yet it needed modifications. (Note that it was never disproven, just extended. And also note that we suspect Einstein's Relativity needs modifications, we just haven't figured out how to make them yet.)
Our theories are based on repeated observations and other checks to maintain validity. We will probably never be able to say exactly why the natural laws behave the way they do, we can not use deduction to prove theories in the way that mathematicians or logicians can prove their theories. But as following the scientific method has allowed us to discover much about the universe and make many useful inventions (such as the computer you are using to read this), we are fairly confident in our methods and our basic understanding.
Most commonly, when someone says that there is no such thing as proof, they are asking us to accept their own unproven (or unprovable) idea. After all, if gravity cannot be "proven" (for whichever exaggeratedly rigorous definition they choose), then why should they prove their ideas? If one genuinely seeks knowledge and learning, then one should not seek to undermine legitimate science.
Timestamp: Nov24, 2003
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