Falsifiability or refutability of a statement, hypothesis, or theory is the inherent possibility that it can be proven false. A statement is called falsifiable if it is possible to conceive of an observation or an argument which negates the statement in question. In this sense, falsify is synonymous with nullify, meaning to invalidate or "show to be false".
For example, by the problem of induction, no number of confirming observations can verify a universal generalization, such as All swans are white, since it is logically possible to falsify it by observing a single black swan. Thus, the term falsifiability is sometimes synonymous to testability. Some statements, such as It will be raining here in one million years, are falsifiable in principle, but not in practice.
The concern with falsifiability gained attention by way of philosopher of scienceKarl Popper's scientific epistemology "falsificationism". Popper stresses the problem of demarcation—distinguishing the scientific from the unscientific—and makes falsifiability the demarcation criterion, such that what is unfalsifiable is classified as unscientific, and the practice of declaring an unfalsifiable theory to be scientifically true is pseudoscience.
Falsifiability explained, exercises, exceptions to the principle explained. For more, visit https:lucidphilosophy.com
published: 17 Dec 2012
Karl Popper's Falsification
Science is based on fact. Isn't it? Karl Popper believed that human knowledge progresses through 'falsification'. A theory or idea shouldn't be described as scientific unless it could, in principle, be proven false.
Narrated by Aidan Turner. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.
From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.
This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.
published: 05 Aug 2015
Chapter 1.4: Karl Popper and the logic of falsification
This video is part of the series: 'The Philosophy of the Humanities' which you can find here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeStI124dee1ByfcDzRvPxKDNb0GQjmo
For more videos on Philosophy by Victor Gijsbers go to:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdW451Xfl5oPDpKcsgbATg
Intromusic: "Styley" by Gorowski (http://www.wmrecordings.com/tag/gorowski/)
published: 27 Sep 2017
Karl Popper, Science, & Pseudoscience: Crash Course Philosophy #8
The early 1900s was an amazing time for Western science, as Albert Einstein was developing his theories of relativity and psychology was born, as Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis took over the scientific mainstream. Karl Popper observed these developments firsthand and came to draw a distinction between what he referred to as science and pseudoscience, which might best be summarized as science disconfirms, while pseudoscience confirms. While the way we describe these disciplines has changed in the intervening years, Popper’s ideas speak to the heart of how we arrive at knowledge.
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Wanted: Santa Clause by Kevin Dooley https://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3124443099, licensed under CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer copyright Rankin/...
published: 28 Mar 2016
Falsifiability and Scientific Thinking Explained
From http://www.thepsychfiles.com Here's a unique way to demonstrate one of the most important principles of the scientific method: falsifiability. Having trouble understanding this term? I hope you find this helpful. Make sure to visit The Psych Files podcast for more unique ways of looking at science and psychology. www.ThePsychFiles.com
published: 30 Nov 2008
Hitchens on Science and Falsifiability
Christopher Hitchens in New York bookstore speaking on science and falsifiability.
Science is based on fact. Isn't it? Karl Popper believed that human knowledge progresses through 'falsification'. A theory or idea shouldn't be described as ...
Science is based on fact. Isn't it? Karl Popper believed that human knowledge progresses through 'falsification'. A theory or idea shouldn't be described as scientific unless it could, in principle, be proven false.
Narrated by Aidan Turner. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.
From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.
This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.
Science is based on fact. Isn't it? Karl Popper believed that human knowledge progresses through 'falsification'. A theory or idea shouldn't be described as scientific unless it could, in principle, be proven false.
Narrated by Aidan Turner. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.
From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.
This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.
This video is part of the series: 'The Philosophy of the Humanities' which you can find here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeStI124dee1ByfcDzRvPxKDNb0...
This video is part of the series: 'The Philosophy of the Humanities' which you can find here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeStI124dee1ByfcDzRvPxKDNb0GQjmo
For more videos on Philosophy by Victor Gijsbers go to:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdW451Xfl5oPDpKcsgbATg
Intromusic: "Styley" by Gorowski (http://www.wmrecordings.com/tag/gorowski/)
This video is part of the series: 'The Philosophy of the Humanities' which you can find here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeStI124dee1ByfcDzRvPxKDNb0GQjmo
For more videos on Philosophy by Victor Gijsbers go to:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdW451Xfl5oPDpKcsgbATg
Intromusic: "Styley" by Gorowski (http://www.wmrecordings.com/tag/gorowski/)
The early 1900s was an amazing time for Western science, as Albert Einstein was developing his theories of relativity and psychology was born, as Sigmund Freud ...
The early 1900s was an amazing time for Western science, as Albert Einstein was developing his theories of relativity and psychology was born, as Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis took over the scientific mainstream. Karl Popper observed these developments firsthand and came to draw a distinction between what he referred to as science and pseudoscience, which might best be summarized as science disconfirms, while pseudoscience confirms. While the way we describe these disciplines has changed in the intervening years, Popper’s ideas speak to the heart of how we arrive at knowledge.
--
Wanted: Santa Clause by Kevin Dooley https://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3124443099, licensed under CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer copyright Rankin/Bass Productions & DreamWorks Classics
Other images and video via VideoBlocks or Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons by 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
--
Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios: http://youtube.com/pbsdigitalstudios
Crash Course Philosophy is sponsored by Squarespace.
http://www.squarespace.com/crashcourse
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The early 1900s was an amazing time for Western science, as Albert Einstein was developing his theories of relativity and psychology was born, as Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis took over the scientific mainstream. Karl Popper observed these developments firsthand and came to draw a distinction between what he referred to as science and pseudoscience, which might best be summarized as science disconfirms, while pseudoscience confirms. While the way we describe these disciplines has changed in the intervening years, Popper’s ideas speak to the heart of how we arrive at knowledge.
--
Wanted: Santa Clause by Kevin Dooley https://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3124443099, licensed under CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer copyright Rankin/Bass Productions & DreamWorks Classics
Other images and video via VideoBlocks or Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons by 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
--
Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios: http://youtube.com/pbsdigitalstudios
Crash Course Philosophy is sponsored by Squarespace.
http://www.squarespace.com/crashcourse
--
Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrashC...
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/TheCrashCourse
Tumblr - http://thecrashcourse.tumblr.com
Support CrashCourse on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/crashcourse
CC Kids: http://www.youtube.com/crashcoursekids
From http://www.thepsychfiles.com Here's a unique way to demonstrate one of the most important principles of the scientific method: falsifiability. Having tro...
From http://www.thepsychfiles.com Here's a unique way to demonstrate one of the most important principles of the scientific method: falsifiability. Having trouble understanding this term? I hope you find this helpful. Make sure to visit The Psych Files podcast for more unique ways of looking at science and psychology. www.ThePsychFiles.com
From http://www.thepsychfiles.com Here's a unique way to demonstrate one of the most important principles of the scientific method: falsifiability. Having trouble understanding this term? I hope you find this helpful. Make sure to visit The Psych Files podcast for more unique ways of looking at science and psychology. www.ThePsychFiles.com
Science is based on fact. Isn't it? Karl Popper believed that human knowledge progresses through 'falsification'. A theory or idea shouldn't be described as scientific unless it could, in principle, be proven false.
Narrated by Aidan Turner. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.
From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.
This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.
This video is part of the series: 'The Philosophy of the Humanities' which you can find here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeStI124dee1ByfcDzRvPxKDNb0GQjmo
For more videos on Philosophy by Victor Gijsbers go to:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdW451Xfl5oPDpKcsgbATg
Intromusic: "Styley" by Gorowski (http://www.wmrecordings.com/tag/gorowski/)
The early 1900s was an amazing time for Western science, as Albert Einstein was developing his theories of relativity and psychology was born, as Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis took over the scientific mainstream. Karl Popper observed these developments firsthand and came to draw a distinction between what he referred to as science and pseudoscience, which might best be summarized as science disconfirms, while pseudoscience confirms. While the way we describe these disciplines has changed in the intervening years, Popper’s ideas speak to the heart of how we arrive at knowledge.
--
Wanted: Santa Clause by Kevin Dooley https://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3124443099, licensed under CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer copyright Rankin/Bass Productions & DreamWorks Classics
Other images and video via VideoBlocks or Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons by 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
--
Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios: http://youtube.com/pbsdigitalstudios
Crash Course Philosophy is sponsored by Squarespace.
http://www.squarespace.com/crashcourse
--
Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrashC...
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/TheCrashCourse
Tumblr - http://thecrashcourse.tumblr.com
Support CrashCourse on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/crashcourse
CC Kids: http://www.youtube.com/crashcoursekids
From http://www.thepsychfiles.com Here's a unique way to demonstrate one of the most important principles of the scientific method: falsifiability. Having trouble understanding this term? I hope you find this helpful. Make sure to visit The Psych Files podcast for more unique ways of looking at science and psychology. www.ThePsychFiles.com
Falsifiability or refutability of a statement, hypothesis, or theory is the inherent possibility that it can be proven false. A statement is called falsifiable if it is possible to conceive of an observation or an argument which negates the statement in question. In this sense, falsify is synonymous with nullify, meaning to invalidate or "show to be false".
For example, by the problem of induction, no number of confirming observations can verify a universal generalization, such as All swans are white, since it is logically possible to falsify it by observing a single black swan. Thus, the term falsifiability is sometimes synonymous to testability. Some statements, such as It will be raining here in one million years, are falsifiable in principle, but not in practice.
The concern with falsifiability gained attention by way of philosopher of scienceKarl Popper's scientific epistemology "falsificationism". Popper stresses the problem of demarcation—distinguishing the scientific from the unscientific—and makes falsifiability the demarcation criterion, such that what is unfalsifiable is classified as unscientific, and the practice of declaring an unfalsifiable theory to be scientifically true is pseudoscience.