On 11/02/2014 11:18, Joe Egginton wrote:
On 11/02/2014 11:02, matt_sykes wrote:
On Sunday, 9 February 2014 22:04:49 UTC+1, Dawlish wrote:

There will never be proof. That's because this is science. Something
the rest of your rant shows you simply don't understand.

ROFL, so what you're saying Dullish is that science is based on faith.
Science is all about evidence and proof.

What he is saying is that *proof* is only possible in mathematics. You
cannot prove a scientific hypothesis in the strict sense of the word.

In science you can easily disprove a hypothesis or theory by finding an
experiment where the experimental results disagree with the predictions
of the theory. It doesn't matter how many experiments you do that have
theory and experimental results matching you never prove it. There is
always the possibility that someone will find a clever experiment that
breaks the standard models of the day in a novel and unexpected way.

Usually such novel experiments that overthrow the scientific status quo
are ground breaking and paradigm shifting like Becquerel discovering
radioactivity, the Michelson-Moreley experiment (relativity), Hertz with
the photoelectric effect (quantum mechanics) and Penzias & Wilson
observing the microwave background (Big Bang).

You can demonstrate that the likelihood that a scientific theory is
correct increases with every independent and more sensitive test that
the theoretical model passes but it is never absolute proof.

There is no absolute proof in science only a progressively better and
better approximation to reality. We codify things that we believe are so
nearly true as to make no difference as the laws of physics but they are
always subject to later revision when better data comes along. Hard
experimental results always trump theory when they conflict.

By comparison dittohead right whingers are absolutely convinced and cock
sure that we can trash the planet with impunity for fun and profit.

You can't attribute any one weather event to AGW but on the other hand
when you have had a run of "hundred year" storms in quick succession you
have to wonder how many more it will take before the lying dittoheads
finally admit defeat. Nature is the final arbiter on this!

Still with the Tory heartlands now flooding they will have to pay some
attention to mitigating climate change instead of pretending that it
isn't happening. "Vote blue get green" slogan is looking very dodgy now.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown