Falsificationism

Falsificationism essentially refers to the Karl Popper's approach in science whereby theories cannot be proved but that theories or hypotheses can be disproved, or falsified. 

While Popper's theory can be pegged as theoretically commendable, the practical essence of the theory does not manifest as to some degree the falsifiability of certain theories are practically impossible. For instance, if we were to consider the law of conservation of energy, whereby energy can not be created nor destroyed, but can only change form, falsifying this theory is not feasible.  

Furthermore, experimental facts themselves are theory-laden. So, we can never test a theory against "pure" experimental facts, independent of a theory (e.g., a theory used to understand how the experimental apparatus operates). These assumptions and conditions of testing a theory can be so numerous that falsifying a theory, in a strictly logical sense, is often practically impossible.

Ways of Knowing associated with Natural Sciences- 

Imagination

Sense and Perception 

Reason

One debatable Way of Knowing in this context is intuition as it is difficult to determine where intuition is sufficient to prove a theory. Our intuition is not always very scientific however, often times it is intuition and imagination that can propel various scientific discoveries. 

[ From Chalmers (1999):

·       Problems stemming from the logical situation

o   "When observation and experiment provide evidence that conflicts with the predictions of some law or theory, it may be the evidence which is at fault rather than the law or theory."

o   "A realistic scientific theory will consist of a complex of universal statements rather than a single statement like “All swans are white”. Further, if a theory is to be experimentally tested, then more will be involved than those statements that constitute the theory under test. The theory will need to be augmented by auxiliary assumptions, such as laws and theories governing the use of any instruments used, for instance. In addition, in order to deduce some prediction the validity of which is to be experimentally tested, it will be necessary to add initial conditions such as a description of the experimental set-up."

·       Falsification inadequate on historical grounds

o   "In the early years of its life, Newton’s gravitational theory was falsified by observations of the moon’s orbit"

o   "A second example concerns Bohr’s theory of the atom, and is due to Lakatos (1970, pp. 140-54)."

o   "A third example concerns the kinetic theory and has the advantage that the falsification of that theory at birth was explicitly acknowledged by its originator."

o   "A fourth example, the Copernican Revolution, will be outlined in more detail in the following section." ]

http://science.martinsewell.com/falsification.html

Conclusively, falsificationism is a notion good in theory but does not make sense in a practical sense. 

Not all scientific studies are created qual TEDEd (Key Terminology)

RCT= Randomized Clinical Trial

Epidemiological Study 

Cohort vs. Compare group

Causal relationships 

Inherent flaws

When I think of good, bad or pseudo science, I personally think of the nuances of science that have emerged and evolved over time in these classifications. For instance, if we were to consider "good" science, in this essence we would connote science that is essentially delivered in an honest manner with data collected as observed. On the other hand, "bad" science to me connotes unethical or immoral science. For instance, animal testing can be deemed as "bad" science from the elemental perspective that the pain endured by the animals is not taken into consideration in the process.