A theory or proposition has no merit if it cannot be tested and falsified.  This principle was first suggested by scientist and philosopher Karl Popper as a way of distinguishing between science and non-science (what I would call non-sense). Popper suggested that a theory or proposition was not scientific and therefore had no merit if […]

A theory or proposition has no merit if it cannot be tested and falsified. This principle was first suggested by scientist and philosopher Karl Popper as a way of distinguishing between science and non-science (what I would call non-sense). Popper suggested that a theory or proposition was not scientific and therefore had no merit if it could not be tested. Anything that cannot be proven false is according to Popper – pseudo-science.The statement that all swans are white, has merit because it can be falsified, simply by citing a black swan. The statement – ‘invisible trolls that cannot be detected by humans live inside trees’ has no merit because it cannot be tested. I like this principle because it highlights the importance of testing. It helps to highlight the fact that opinions without evidence or that cannot be tested are worthless.