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North Carolina Could've Made Much Better Hire Than Bill Belichick After Report
Things would've been much better.
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
Zacks.com users have recently been watching AMC Entertainment (AMC) quite a bit. Thus, it is worth knowing the facts that could determine the stock's prospects.
Celebrity Traitors Season 2 Premiere Draws Record UK Audience of About 9 Million
The BBC's Celebrity Traitors returned Thursday with a record UK audience for a Traitors premiere, with viewership peaking at 9 million.
Stand-off over Protestant march pushes Northern Ireland politics to the brink
Crisis over attempted march down Catholic road may hasten reform of Stormont’s political institutions
Angels Did Have Some Silver Linings In Their Sad Season
The Los Angeles Angels had an awful season, but there were some bright spots that made them worth watching.
Democrats expand battleground for House, reaching into bloodred districts
The additions include Kansas’s 2nd, Michigan’s 1st, North Carolina’s 13th, New Jersey’s 2nd, Oklahoma’s 5th, Texas’s 9th, Virginia’s 6th and Washington’s 5th.
How to watch Avonworth vs Yough High School high school football
You can watch Avonworth football all season long with NFHS Network, including this week’s game against Yough High School.
Lossing and Hoheisel talk business at Monday’s Babbitt Weekly News mayoral candidate forum
The Ely Echo weekly newspaper and its companion pieces - North Country SAVER and North Country ANGLER - provide insight into the news and happenings of northern Minnesota, alongside the Canadian border. www.elyecho.com
Newark Charter girls volleyball standout wins Athlete of the Week
The poll, presented by Delaware Orthopaedic Specialists, runs Monday through Thursday each week.
I thought Google made a mistake with the Pixel 11 Pro XL. 30 days later, I was wrong
The Google Pixel 11 Pro XL is hard on the wallet, but that doesn't mean the phone isn't worth it. 30 days later, I'm hooked on it.
Somersworth Pumpkin Festival 2026 offers fun, food: What to know before you go
The 23rd annual Somersworth Pumpkin Festival offers fun, food and entertainment for all ages. Here's what to expect.
Hops on High and HighBall Halloween merge for a free Short North fest
Hops on High featuring HighBall Halloween hits the street on Oct. 3 with music, theater, trick-or-treating, a fashion show and more.
NC health plans form task force to fight Medicaid fraud
Investigators from the state’s Medicaid managed care organizations will share tips and tactics in an effort to catch suspicious billing sooner.
Euro 2016 memories aplenty - but O'Neill focused on future
Ukraine against Northern Ireland is a fixture which brings up plenty of memories, but Michael O'Neill is firmly focused on the future.
It’s week seven in the High School Red Zone
SPARTANBURG, SC(WSPA)-Week seven in the High School Red Zone means most area teams will start region play. Here are the key games coming up: Wren vs. Powdersville Dorman vs. Fort Mill B. Springs vs. Northwestern Rock Hill vs. Spartanburg Byrnes vs. Hillcrest Westside vs. Laurens Clinton vs. SCS We have full coverage of all of […]
Kim Jong Un champions education and science as North Korea harvest gathers pace
North Korean state media kept domestic audiences in the dark about rising tensions with South Korea this week. Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong issued a statement aimed at Seoul after a landmine blast at the border injured South Korean soldiers, but it did not appear in domestic outlets. Instead, state media covered the […]
Browns win battle with Steelers but are losing war with Deshaun Watson
The Browns are surprisingly in first place in the AFC North. That should be good news, but let's fast forward a bit, writes columnist Nate Davis.
Eight BYU football players ruled out against TCU
Injuries deplete the undefeated Cougars' roster as they travel to Fort Worth, seeking to break a decades-long road drought and secure their third consecutive 4-0 start.
Week 5: Thursday Louisiana high school football scores
Haughton 55, Parkway 36 Bossier 34, Southwood 12 Northwood Lena 28, Ringgold 50 West Point (MS) 2, Ruston 29 Haynesville 48, Union Parish 27
Are The Browns For Real? 3 Takeaways From Browns' Dramatic Win vs. Steelers
The Browns are now in first place in the AFC North after their win over the Steelers. Here are three takeaways from Thursday's game.
Sports Schedules (Oct. 2-13)
SPORTS SCHEDULES (OCT. 2-13) (* — tablerocksports.net) FRIDAY, OCT. 2 College Volleyball Northwest at Southern Oregon, 6 p.m. Email newsletter signup College Men’s Soccer Carroll at Southern Oregon, 2:30 p.m. […]
Business in Northern Kentucky badly damaged after car crashes into it
A business in Northern Kentucky was severely damaged after a car crashed into it on Thursday.
De Pere woman takes leap of faith as small business owner
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Becoming a business owner was never part of Jessie Marceau’s original plan, but five years after taking a chance, she is helping families across Northeast Wisconsin n…
Mothers face barriers to accessing mental healthcare, survey shows
Having theoretical access to healthcare doesn’t mean you can take advantage of it, as underscored by a report examining mothers’ experiences for themselves and their children. Released Thursday, Pulse Check 2026: Mothers on Mental Health, Care, and the Systems Around Their Families reports that nearly 48% of Florida mothers surveyed said they had struggled struggle […]
Proposed Peoria apartments face backlash from neighbors
More than 20 nearby business owners and homeowners in Far North Peoria signed a petition against a proposed apartment project.
World Business Chicago skips City Council ethics hearing about videos featuring Mayor Brandon Johnson
In four videos , the mayor narrates investments on the city’s South, West, Southwest and Northwest sides. To critics, the videos amount to campaign-style promotions rather than an effort to attract global businesses.
Political credit before public safety? Inside Mayor Katie Wilson's gun violence strategy, disputed quotes and stakeholder concerns
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s gun violence plan raises questions about disputed quotes and transparency.
Bill Nye whips out the Constitution to make a powerful point about cuts to science research
He read Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 to an audience.
Lions Welcome Key Figure Back to Practice
The Detroit Lions were back on the practice field on Thursday as they continue preparations to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday evening, in which they’ll look to improve their record to 3-1.Detroit, who remains shorthanded with several key players still missing because of injury, did get a bit of good news with regard to […] The post Lions Welcome Key Figure Back to Practice appeared first on HEAVY.
Trump memecoin plans another gala amid backlash to self-enrichment
The latest event will take place next month at the president’s golf club in Northern Virginia.
Ten bucks says you’ll love this community science project
Today marks the first day of Rut Watch 2026 With another season of Deer Spy in the books thanks to community scientists like you, biologists are now on a mission to pinpoint the peak of the white-tailed deer breeding season in Maine. Every observation of deer breeding behavior and sign helps define the timing of the rut, and this project uses the power of community science to collect deer data all fall long. Hunters, hikers, and wildlife watchers - Rut Watch pairs well with any outdoor adventure you have planned this season. It’s a perfect excuse to slow down and connect with nature as you look for clues. So get outside, rack up that deer data and submit rut reports from now through December 1. The online form is science made simple: Location Date and time Breeding behavior observed Submit a Rut Report What to watch for Active Breeding The most obvious breeding behavior to observe is a buck mounting a doe, but that is a rare sight as it only lasts a moment. You are more likely to witness a buck “tending” a doe, following closely, chasing, nuzzling, or pawing at her rump until she is receptive. Sparring After bucks shed their velvet, sparring helps sort out who is who in the dominance hierarchy. Early season matches are often less intense than later season matches between similar sized bucks. Most sparring is complete by the time breeding begins. Rubs Don’t just look for deer, pay attention to the trees. Rubs are marks made by bucks when they rub their antlers on trees, removing bark and leaving their scent calling card in the process. Scrapes Look to the forest floor for this sign of breeding season behavior. Scrapes consist of two parts - a licking branch, and a patch of cleared earth. Bucks break a low branch around head height, then paw at the leaves below to expose the dirt. Covered in scent, a scrape tells does and other bucks, “I’m here!” Learn More More information What’s next for deer community science: Northern Maine Wintering Deer Survey Other active community science projects: Fish Tag Reporting Maine Golden Eagle Study Maine Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project Maine Deer Management: Maine’s Big Game Management Plan Game Species Conservation & Management Report The Benefits of Hunting: Supporting Wildlife, Conservation, and Community Subscribe Share Leave a comment
August power outages, Rivoli Theatre marquee, Indiana Small Business Program
On Tuesday, the Interim Study Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications met at the Indiana Statehouse to discuss the widespread and long-lasting power outages Northwest Indiana residents endured following severe
BLINK announces headline performance ahead of 2026 festival
There are 92 participating artists this year, representing 20 countries. Thirty artists hail from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
The Networking Mistake That Feels Productive but Quietly Stalls Your Business
The relationships that matter most tend to find founders who build something worth noticing.
Cosmos Health's Brands Reach More Than 40 Countries Across Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia, Addressing Global Markets Estimated at Approximately $946 Billion
The portfolio comprises more than 15 proprietary brands and product lines and 10 branded generics across five product categories, sold in more than 40 countries through pharmacies, hospitals, retail chains and e-commerce. It is manufactured at GMP-certified facilities in Europe and the United States and supported by the Company's services in contract manufacturing, pharmaceutical distribution, telehealth and research and development.
WTA Unveils 2027 Calendar With Pay Milestone
The WTA has unveiled its 2027 calendar, pairing a historic pay milestone with a lighter load for its top players. It will span 55 events across 26 countries and territories and build toward the WTA Finals in its new home of Charlotte, North Carolina. Announced on Thursday, the calendar adds a new WTA 250 tournament …
The Iron Wall in Rabat: Why Morocco’s Political Shift Won’t Touch the Abraham Accords
As Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri Takes the Helm as Morocco’s First Female Prime Minister, Israel’s Most Resilient North African Alliance Remains Bulletproof
Prime Video Orders Second Season of Reacher Spinoff Neagley
Prime Video has renewed Neagley for a second season after the Reacher spinoff drew 40 million viewers in its first 13 days, Amazon said.
NCDHHS rolls out updated four-year plan, sets four immediate health priorities
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced an updated four-year strategic plan and four immediate priority areas intended to guide
North Las Vegas sports-entertainment complex celebrates final construction phase
A new sports-entertainment complex coming to North Las Vegas is celebrating a major milestone.
Guide to New Orleans theater shows in October 2026
From uplifting musicals like "Come From Away" to compelling dramas like "Something Cloudy, Something Clear," the New Orleans and northshore stages are set for a diverse and captivating fall season!
Audible Adds AI Character Conversations to Audiobooks Starting This Fall
Audible's new Interactive Stories feature lets listeners speak with audiobook characters in real time, starting with Dracula's Renfield…
$46.8 million townhome development planned in Ankeny
Hubbell Realty Co. plans to develop a $46.8 million rental townhome community on Ankeny’s northeast side, adding 200 units to one of the Des Moines area’s fastest-growing communities. The 16-acre development, called Marlow 35, is planned for the northeast corner of Northeast Delaware Avenue and Northeast Ninth Street. The community will include one- and two-story…
Milestone integration for Goshen Health in century long history
WSBT CBS 22 provides news, sports, entertainment and public interest programs to the South Bend, Indiana area including Mishawaka, Notre Dame, Granger, Osceola, Elkhart, Jimtown, Dunlap, New Carlisle, Goshen, Middlebury, Bristol, New Paris, Nappanee, Howe, Lagrange, Topeka, Bourbon, Milford, Syracuse, North Webster, Warsaw, Bremen, Plymouth, Walkerton, Argos, Tippecanoe, Culver, Grovertown, Delong, Rochester, Akron, Winamac, North Judson, LaPorte, North Liberty, Wakarusa, Lapaz, Millersburg, Knox, and Michigan City, Indiana – and these areas of Michigan: St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Buchanan, Niles, Three Oaks, New Buffalo, Harbert, Bridgeman, Stevensville, Watervliet, Berrien Springs, Dowagiac, Marcellus, Cassopolis, Decatur, Vandalia, Constantine, White Pigeon, Galien and Edwardsburg.
Northern Ireland in 'good shape' for Ukraine game
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says his side are in "good shape" ahead of their Nations League match against Ukraine in Slovakia.
PepsiCo, Monster challenge India 'energy drink' label ban citing business impact
PepsiCo and Monster Beverage have sued India's food regulator for banning their use of the "energy drink" label, non-public court filings show, escalating a regulatory fight that has jolted a sector expected to be worth $1.6 billion by 2028.
Emergent Names Tom Shelburne Head of Business Development, North America
Five-time Emmy Award winner to bring company’s browser-native broadcast graphics to market
How Washington Funded the Politicization of Science
Over the last half-decade, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on projects designed to influence academic policies, both in the sciences and other disciplines. The aim was to foster a progressive conception of social justice in these fields. In pursuit of this end, the foundation earmarked nearly a million dollars for a project titled “Creating Inclusive Scientific Societies through Policies and Practices,” over a million for a project on “Faculty Online Learning Communities for Gender Equity,” and over $2 million to foster “racial equity focused departmental change.” Through a public records request, I’ve obtained the proposals and progress reports for dozens of NSF grants designed to promote social justice. Although funding for these grants was eventually halted by the Trump administration, the projects illustrate an important facet of recent higher-education policy. Many of the university policies that promised “social transformation” didn’t arise in a vacuum. They were actively encouraged by outside funders—often by the federal government itself. Subscribe Accreditation—the peer-review process which enables universities to receive federal grants and student loans—has recently become a policy battleground, with accreditors wielding significant power over both universities and academic disciplines. In 2020, when Oregon Health and Science University’s medical school issued an extensive diversity action plan—which promised “consequences” for employees who failed to support “DEI, anti-racism and social justice”—it specifically pointed to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the medical-school accrediting body, to justify the overhaul. The NSF actively promoted DEI-focused accreditation policies. The proposal for a $1.2 million program on promoting “community engagement” in STEM, which I obtained through a records request, notes that the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology was exploring changes to its criteria “that would incorporate JEDI [justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion].” The proposal promised to “support broader JEDI efforts in the general criteria for engineering.” Another grant funded a conference designed to “identify and share best practices and strategies to integrate IDEA principles in accreditation criteria”—referring to an acronym that stands for “inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.” Scholarly societies have become another flashpoint in debates over higher education. Critics argue that many of these societies, which have the power to shape entire disciplines, have become increasingly politicized. Again, through its giving, the NSF played a role in promoting this politicization. In one million-dollar grant that received funding in 2024, a group of psychologists proposed a series of social-justice reforms to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. The proposal, which I obtained via a records request, asserts that “[r]edistributing resources (such as moving different people into leadership roles) is not enough” and that the society’s “governance structures do not yet reflect its stated values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Its solution: review and rework the society’s criteria for leadership development, academic awards, conferences, and publications. Adjusting review criteria informed by “intersectionality” designed to fight “epistemic exclusion” is an easy way to introduce de facto ideological litmus tests into the peer-review process. For many of the grants I obtained, such litmus tests seem to be the point. “Academic departments are racialized social systems that produce and sustain the byproducts of systemic racism,” a proposal for a $2.7 million project funded in 2024 asserts, promising to develop “departmentally-focused change efforts that cultivate values, assumptions, and behaviors that advance racial equity.” The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign’s million-dollar “I-ADVANCE” project, which effectively created a small DEI bureaucracy on campus, promised to Embed 28 ADVANCE faculty fellows in STEM departments” to amplify its equity goals. Another $1.2 million project promised to create “faculty online learning communities,” made up of scientists at universities around the country, that would eventually build department-level diversity action plans. “Ultimately,” the proposal asserts, perhaps more perceptively than its authors realized, “both organizational change and intersectionality frameworks deal with power.” Indeed, such grants confer a great deal of power to administrators and scholar-activists, who can even use the mere availability of funding as a tool to advance their causes. That history is worth remembering amid today’s debate over federal involvement in higher education: Washington has been shaping university priorities for years, including by financing efforts to instill progressive ideas about race, gender, and equity into academic institutions—and many of the policies those grants encouraged remain embedded within universities long after the federal money has stopped flowing. John D. Sailer is the director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at Manhattan Institute. Share
Expected Timeline for Mental Health Coverage Rule Slips to 2027
A forthcoming proposal overhauling how the federal government regulates employers’ mental health coverage is now expected next year, according to a legal filing from the Trump administration.
Alexandre Pato-backed consortium completes Northampton Town takeover
Northampton Town have officially entered a new era after Sports Alpha Capital (SAC) completed its takeover of the League Two club.The investment group has acquired a 70% shareholding in Northampton To...
RMC Health System officially becomes Baptist Health Calhoun Hospital
ANNISTON, Ala. (WBMA) — A major change in health care is now official for patients and families across Anniston and Northeast Alabama.Orlando Health announced T
How to watch North Shore vs Humble high school football
You can watch North Shore football all season long with NFHS Network, including this week’s game against Humble.
Gov. Stein announces $20M fund to increase health care access in rural North Carolina
A new fund will increase access to health care in rural parts of North Carolina.
Inside Business Matters: Micron, forever chemicals, data centers, more (how to sign up)
Every Thursday, the Business Matters newsletter gathers Syracuse.com’s most insightful, noteworthy business journalism for readers.
Good science requires much more than evidence
Empiricists believe that scientific theories are true only if they make correct empirical predictions: if we can't verify these predictions, then there is no reason to expect that they tell us anything about reality. However, Professor of Philosophy at King's College David Kyle Johnson argues that this is mistaken. In response to Bas van Fraassen, who has written on this subject for the IAI, he argues that we have many reasons for believing a theory to be true, such as it being parsimonious and having large scope — qualities which have been used throughout the history of science as criteria for judging theories. In 2024, Princeton philosopher Bas van Fraassen wrote a short article for IAI News entitled “Science Does not Describe Reality: The Limits and Benefits of Explanation.” At the time, I was working on two projects (a science book and a Great Course) that, when completed, would (among other things) defend science’s ability to describe reality. I wanted to write a response to van Fraassen, but the projects demanded too much of my attention. But now that those projects are complete, I am in a position to explain the objections to van Fraassen’s thesis. Summarizing van Fraassen’s argumentIn a nutshell, his argument is this: What scientists do is make predictions based on theories and then invite others to test to see whether those predictions are borne out. “If theory T is right, result R should happen in experimental condition C.” Many think that running an experiment that shows that R happens in condition C is proof that theory T is true (and should be believed). But, van Fraassen argues, that R happened in condition C is only a reason to think that R happens in condition C. That’s the only observable, or empirical, result we can actually see, so that is all that we are really justified in believing. (The underlying theory that made that prediction still may or may not be true.) That is why he calls those who accept his position “empiricists.”Before I explain what is wrong with this position, let me explain what it gets right. What van Fraassen Gets RightFirst, a theory correctly predicting the results of an experiment is not, strictly speaking, “proof” that the theory is correct. The basic line of reasoning is this:If the theory T is true, result R should happen. Result R did happen. Thus, theory T is true.In other words:“If T then R. R. Thus, T.”This is a deductively invalid, fallacious mode of reasoning, called “affirming the consequent.” Those premises do not guarantee that the conclusion follows. “If I am in Pennsylvania, then I am in the USA. I am in the USA. Thus, I am in Pennsylvania.” Clearly that argument doesn’t guarantee its conclusion; neither does the above argument.However, science is not a deductive method of reasoning; it is an inductive one. And inductive arguments merely try to raise the probability of their conclusion, not “prove” them for certain. Thus, the fact that an experimental result doesn’t prove a theory is true is irrelevant; it’s not supposed to. That is not what scientific reasoning is about.___If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational.___Second, it’s also true that a single experimental result doesn’t provide enough justification to believe that a theory is true. Scientists do not come to a consensus about whether a theory is true by looking at a single experiment; they look at all the evidence to determine where the preponderance of evidence points. The mere fact that I am in the USA raises the probability that I am in Pennsylvania, but not nearly enough to conclude that I am in Pennsylvania. However, if I am also regularly encountering people wearing Eagles and Phillies hats and seeing advertisements for Founding Father tours, I probably am. In the same way, a theory successfully predicting the outcome of one experiment is not enough to conclude that it is true; but if a theory makes a wide variety of predictions that are all vindicated by multiple experiments, performed by many different groups and people, all actively trying to prove the theory false (which is what good scientific experiments are designed to do)—that is a good reason to conclude that the theory is true. In other words, if you repeatedly try to prove something false but can’t, that is a very good indication that it isn’t. The problem of underdeterminationIn reply, those whom van Fraassen calls “empiricists” often point to the “problem of underdetermination.” For any given theory that makes successful predictions about what happens in experimental conditions, there are countless other possible theories that make exactly the same predictions—and since they do, the experimental evidence in question is just as much reason to accept any of those theories as it is to accept our original one. Thus, the argument goes, we have no way of knowing whether our original theory is true, or one of the other “predictively equivalent” theories is true. SUGGESTED VIEWING How Occam's Razor changed the world With Johnjoe McFadden As an example of underdetermination, philosophers often offer this example. The evidence of fossils seems to provide reason to conclude that the universe is quite old; ancient fossils are what the “ancient universe” hypothesis predicts. But it’s also possible that God created an ancient-looking universe 200 years ago, complete with a “fake” fossil record for us to find, to make it look old. The existence of fossils is what that theory predicts too. So, the argument goes, the fossil record can’t be used as evidence that the universe is ancient; the fossil record supports the “200-year-old ancient-looking universe” theory just as much. The problem of underdetermination points out that, for any theory with supporting evidence, we could invent another completely different theory that predicts exactly the same evidence, and thus undermine that evidence’s ability to support the original theory.But this “argument from underdetermination” betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what scientific reasoning is and how it works. To explain, let me use another rather strange (but very real and commonly discussed) philosophical thought experiment called “The Grue Problem.” The “Grue” ProblemSuppose I want to know what color emeralds are, so I observe a few, see that they all appear green, and form the theory that “all emeralds are green.” I thus predict that the next 100 emeralds I find will also appear to be green. And let’s say that happens, and so I thus conclude that my theory that all emeralds are green is true. Now, one might rightly point out that I don’t know for sure that all emeralds are green—I have not seen them all. Maybe some I haven’t found yet are blue. Fair enough. After all, we used to think that all swans were white, until we found some black ones. But let’s say that I go on a quest and collect every emerald in the universe—and, for the sake of the argument, let’s say I can do this, and can even know that I have every one of them. So, I collect them all, look at them all, and verify that they all appear green. Can’t I now rightly conclude that all emeralds are green?Inspired by the problem of underdetermination, a friend might argue that I cannot.Sure, they all appear green now—but there could be another kind of color called “grue.” Something is grue if it is green up to a certain point in time, but then spontaneously turns blue. And there could be an infinite number of “shades” of grue. Something that is one shade of grue will turn blue at noon today, but something that is another shade of grue will turn blue at noon tomorrow, etc. So yes, the emeralds appear green now; and since they haven’t turned blue yet, they are not some “past” shade of grue. But they might be some “future” shade of grue (e.g., they may turn blue at noon tomorrow). And since all future shades of grue are consistent with “being green up to this point in time,” the evidence you have is completely consistent with the notion that all emeralds are some future shade of grue, rather than green. Indeed, that they would appear green until now is what the “some future shade of grue” hypothesis predicts. So, we have just as much reason to conclude that all emeralds are some shade of grue as we do to conclude that they are green.You’re probably thinking “It’s not equally possible that the emeralds are grue; they are obviously green.” You are right! But explaining why your instinctive reaction to my friend’s argument is correct will help inform why van Fraassen’s “empiricist” is wrong and science actually does describe reality.The main mistake my friend makes is in thinking that the “empirical evidence” (of all the emeralds appearing green) is (or even should be) all I am using to draw the conclusion that all emeralds are green. It is not. I am also considering known facts about how colors typically work; things don’t usually change color, and when they do, they don’t do so suddenly, without cause, and all at once. So, even though the simple evidence of the emeralds all appearing green up to this point is consistent with them being some future shade of grue—that is even what the grue hypothesis “predicts”—it is still exceedingly unlikely that they are. The hypothesis that they are green is much more likely. Understanding science refutes the problem of underdetermination The misunderstanding about science that the “empiricist” pointing to “the problem of underdetermination” makes is similar to the one that my friend made. Science is not just about considering experimental evidence; in fact, it’s not even just about considering empirical evidence. As Ernan McMullin and many other philosophers of science have pointed out, the inference that makes science is “inference to the best explanation” (sometimes called “abduction” or “retroduction” by McMullin). While, depending on the circumstances, scientists use many different kinds of reasoning, science as a whole is, simply put, the process of considering multiple competing explanations and comparing them to certain criteria—explanatory criteria (the kinds of things explanations must be and do, by definition, to be a good explanation)—to see which explanation is the best.And these criteria do not deal only with empirical results. Yes, successful predictions raise the probability of a hypothesis, but it’s also the case that the more new assumptions a theory makes, the less likely it is to be true; every new assumption presents an opportunity for the theory to be false. (The fewer assumptions a theory makes, the simpler or “more parsimonious” it is said to be.) Likewise, the more existing evidence a theory contradicts, the less likely it is, because in order for a theory to be true, every piece of evidence it contradicts has to be somehow faulty. (The fewer established theories a new theory contradicts, the more “conservative” it is said to be.) And, obviously, the more something explains, the better explanation it is. (This is called having “scope.”) If a theory raises unanswerable questions, it’s not expanding our understanding, and thus is not wide-scoping. Scientists consider all these things when deciding which theory to accept, because the theory that adheres best to these explanatory criteria is most likely to be true.___the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth.___The reason the grue hypothesis is no good is because it invents an entirely new kind of color—not just a new shade, but an entirely different category of color (a different way colors work)—and thus is not parsimonious. It raises unanswerable questions about how and why emeralds would just spontaneously change from green to blue (and thus does not have wide scope). And it contradicts what is already well established about how color works (and thus is unconservative).The theories that the problem of underdetermination points to do the same thing. Yes, the theory that God created an “ancient-looking universe” (complete with an ancient-looking fossil record) two hundred years ago is also consistent with the empirical evidence (of a fossil record) that presently exists; but that theory is monumentally unparsimonious (it requires many extra assumptions about infinite entities) and not wide-scoping (it raises unanswerable questions about why God would do such a thing). So, I can rationally conclude that it is false.Indeed, the history of science includes many examples of theories that were rejected because they lacked parsimony and/or scope, even before their falsity (and the truth of their competing theory) was confirmed by observation. As I point out in my book, geocentrism was rejected by the scientific community because it lacked parsimony, almost 200 years before the observation of parallax confirmed that the Earth moves around the sun. And the continuum theory of matter was completely rejected by 1860, because it couldn’t explain chemical reactions or organize matter into a periodic table, even though the experiments that eventually confirmed atomic theory weren’t even proposed until the 1870s. Solving the best of a bad lot problemIn response, the “empiricists” are likely to object, this time pointing to the “best of a bad lot” problem. “We have no reason to conclude that an explanation that has been shown to be better than others is true because we have no guarantee that the true theory was among those that we were considering.” If you have a “lot” (a collection) of poor explanations, even the best one is not true.The responses to this problem, however, are numerous. Peter Lipton argues that the set of hypotheses that scientists consider are not just randomly selected and thus unlikely to contain a theory that is true; they use existing knowledge to home in on what is most likely to be true. A doctor trying to explain abdominal pain is not going to bother wondering whether demons are causing it; they are going to stick with things like appendicitis and kidney stones, because they are most likely. Further, despite its name, inference to the best explanation is not just the process of comparing hypotheses and accepting the best one; we also want one that is a good explanation in its own right. If it’s not, we are going to keep looking until we find an explanation that is. And while that process does not guarantee that we will come across the exact truth, it’s very likely that the theory that emerges as the best will be at least approximately true, and thus we will be justified in believing it. And lastly, as I point out in my book, although many theories not based in scientific evidence (like geocentrism and continuum theory) have been completely overturned, science almost always progresses by the refinement of scientifically established theories—not their replacement. (Although our sun is not the center of the universe, heliocentrism was our first step in understanding the Earth’s true place in the universe.) So even if a theory we accept today may not be completely right, accepting it is a step on the journey toward the complete truth. The example of atomic theoryNow, it’s worth pointing out that most empiricists are not skeptical of all scientific theories; they are only skeptical of the ones that hypothesize the existence of “unobservables.” It’s not like they think that round Earth, heliocentrism, and germ theory are just useful (but untrue) “instruments” for making predictions about how to most efficiently navigate the seas, predict planetary motion, and treat diseases. They admit that the Earth actually is round, that the planets revolve around the sun, and that germs exist and cause disease. These facts and entities can be observed; the theories that suggest they exist are true. It’s only when theories start hypothesizing the existence of unobservables—like electrons, or quantum fields—that can’t be observed directly, that we should start doubting the theories’ truth. And to be fair to van Fraassen, in this published work, he doesn’t really say that we should doubt the truth of such theories. Only that scientific reasoning does not rationally force us to accept them as true. Skepticism, or agnosticism, he argues, is warranted. SUGGESTED READING Science is based in metaphor By Andrew Reynolds But the history of atomic theory throws a monkey wrench into that argument. Atoms used to be unobservable; again, scientists first accepted the theory that they exist because it had such grandiose explanatory power. But then atoms were seen with electron microscopes. They thus moved into the category of the observable. But this didn’t substantially change anything about what scientists were justified in believing; it certainly didn’t change any “atomic skeptics’” minds. It just confirmed what everyone already knew! If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational. The fact that the thing itself is not technically observable does not make doubting its existence rational.What’s more, the atoms were seen with an electron microscope. But electrons are themselves unobservable. How can an electron microscope reveal an atom if electrons are not real? This leads us to what is famously known as Hilary Putnam’s “miracle argument.” It’s (not) a miraclePhilosopher Hilary Putnam’s miracle argument is somewhat famous. Basically, he argued that a scientific theory being able to repeatedly make successful predictions—even about unobservables—without being at least approximately true would require a “miracle.” In other words, it would be such an improbable occurrence that it could not rationally be believed—the better explanation for why scientific theories about unobservables make the right predictions is because the unobservable entities and structures they hypothesize exist.Van Fraassen has addressed this argument. Indeed, in his original article, where he references Alison Gopnik’s point about orgasms not being “necessary for procreation” even though the desire for orgasm “drives the creation of progeny,” he is pointing to his own argument about how organisms are not naturally selected by evolution to get true beliefs; to the extent that belief-forming processes are selected for, the ones that are selected are the ones that are useful for survival—not the ones that produce true beliefs. In the same way, van Fraassen argues, scientific theories are accepted, not because they are true, but because they aren’t falsified; they make successful predictions; that’s what makes them “stick around.” So, the fact that they make successful predictions (and thus became accepted) is not a reason to think they are true.This argument is similar to C. S. Lewis’s “argument from reason,” which he used to argue against evolution: “The truth of evolution undercuts our ability to know that it is true.” Lewis’ argument famously failed; Elizabeth Anscombe, by Lewis’s own admission, demolished Lewis in a debate on the topic, and I have explained elsewhere why modified versions of the argument fail as well. In short, it’s because it fails to recognize that a belief-forming process can make an organism more likely to survive because it reliably produces true beliefs. It is therefore not the case that beliefs generated by naturally selected belief-forming processes are automatically false or unjustified.In the same way, the reason a theory “sticks around” could be because it’s not falsified, because it “makes correct predictions.” But the reason it makes correct predictions is most likely because it is true. (In pointing this out, I am echoing the arguments of Musgrave, Lipton, Psillos, and Kitcher, who refuted van Fraassen’s argument and analogy long before his 2024 article.) It would be a huge coincidence that it could do so without being true. And that is the point of Putnam’s miracle argument. Thus, contrary to van Fraassen’s suggestion, the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth. ConclusionLet me close by saying something about the fact that empiricists don’t doubt the truth of all scientific theories, just the ones that hypothesize unobservables. In today’s society, this theory is dangerous to espouse publicly. The nuance between being skeptical about all of science, and just the highly technical theories about unobservables, is guaranteed to be lost to the average reader. And there is so much unjustified skepticism and doubt about the findings of science and experts that a headline like “Science Does Not Describe Reality” could easily fuel the anti-science movement, worsen climate change denial and cause the next pandemic.This is why I believe it was important to still respond to van Fraassen’s article, a full two years after he wrote it. Not only, as I have argued, does it represent a philosophically inaccurate view of how scientific reasoning works and what scientific reasoning can do, but it is a dangerous view to boot. It should thus be rejected.
Vote for Northeast Florida Team of the Month in high school sports
Which team was the best of September 2026 for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida high school sports? Cast your vote in the Team of the Month poll.
State agencies reach agreements with ICE + Democrats worry about election security
Subscribe to Under the Dome for a daily dose of North Carolina politics news.
Inside Northern Ireland's football conveyor belt
BBC Sport NI spends the day at the IFA JD Academy Residential at Campbell College where Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill catches up with the young players hoping to graduate to a full-time career.
Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Disney, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, People and Reservoir Media
For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – October 1, 2026 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Disney DIS, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. MSGE, People Inc. PPLI and Reservoir Media RSVR.Industry: Media ConglomeratesLink: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2998250/4-media-stocks-that-are-worth…
Case Mgmt Profiles – Broward Health North – Genesis Siliezar-Orellana, MSW
For Genesis Siliezar-Orellana, MSW, social work is about making sure patients feel heard, seen and supported. She attended Florida Atlantic University, earning both her undergraduate degree and Master of Social Work, before coming to Broward Health North as a social work intern, where she completed eight months of clinical training. She joined the hospital’s team […]
NewsMakers ’26: Christin Godale is strategic about transforming Northern Kentucky into a science hub
(Editor’s note: This is the fourth of six stories honoring the NKyTribune’s ’26 NewsMakers of the year.) By Laura Kroeger NKyTribune staff writer Dr. Christin Godale’s mantras are “Just Keep Moving…
Chamber, Duke partner to award 26 Small Business Relief Grants across NKY
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Not your everyday coffee in a Serbia cafe. Enjoy it in the company of alpacas
A cafe in northern Serbia has unusual hosts | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
Not your everyday coffee in a Serbia cafe. Enjoy it in the company of alpacas
A cafe in northern Serbia has unusual hosts | WWL
North Huskies advance to sectional semifinals
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – The North Huskies girls flag football team is moving on to the semifinals after beating Reitz 14-6. The Huskies will take on Castle at the Reitz Bowl, 10 a.m. Saturday kickoff.
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Blitz on 2 Week 6 Win of the Week
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Leading Ashley Ridge just 6-2 under two minutes to play in the first half, Fort Dorchester scored a touchdown going into half. Then scored again coming out of half to put the game away en route to an impressive 33-12 win. The Fort defense holding AR to just 12 points […]
Alexandria's business community gathers as AEDP tallies first results of ALX Forward
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Northwestern Football Earns Bowl Prediction
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Man fatally shoots 2 co-workers at a Virginia business before killing himself, police say
MANASSAS, Va. — A man shot three co-workers during an altercation Wednesday at a northern Virginia business, killing two of them, before he took his own life during a police standoff along an interstate highway, police said. Marvin Grant, 37, of Charlotte, North Carolina, opened fire at an equipment rental
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UNC's Bill Belichick Only Looking to Move Forward After Investigation
Belichick knows he needs to.
Chicago police issue alert about sting of overnight business burglaries on North, West Sides
In each incident, four unknown suspects arrived at a business, targeting cash registers, cash in gaming machines and store merchandise for theft, police said.
Upworthy Launching Entertainment Studio Led By Sarah Yourgrau
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North Dakota to use ‘anchor partners’ to manage Rural Health grants
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High School sports participation stalls across the Carolinas
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Scouting America council to honor Hunt family
The Natural State Council of Scouting America said Tuesday (Sept. 29) that it will honor the Hunt family at its 2026 Northwest Arkansas Heart of the Eagle. The luncheon event...
Scouting America council to honor Hunt family
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Bates named executive director of HHS Medical Services Division | Health and Human Services North Dakota
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Sandhills Community College Small Business Center expands to Moore and Hoke Counties
Small Business Center Director, Laura Kinsman. Photo provided by: SCCSandhills Community College (SCC) is launching a redesigned Small Business Center model that expands no-cost entrepreneurial support across Moore and Hoke Counties. Rooted in the College’s commitment to strengthening small businesses and entrepreneurship as drivers of economic growth, the enhanced model is led by recently appointed Small Business Center Director, Laura Kinsman. The model also includes two new Senior Business Advisors who will provide trusted expertise, stronger community connections, and individualized guidance to entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the region.Kinsman brings a unique perspective to the director’s role as both a local business owner, operating in downtown Southern Pines, and a former Moore County educator. “Her combination of education, business ownership, leadership, and community involvement make her a great fit for the Small Business Center and the work we are continuing to build across Moore and Hoke counties,” said Taylor L. McCaskill, senior director of Workforce Development & Corporate Partnerships in a press release.Kinsman is an active member of the Southern Pines Business Association and has been connected to the Sandhills Small Business Center since the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. She looks forward to building on that experience by strengthening the Center’s partnerships and expanding its connections throughout the community.She will lead the Center's efforts to support entrepreneurs and business owners throughout Moore and Hoke County and be the connector to the North Carolina Community College System Small Business Center Network operations. The Center offers no-cost, confidential one-on-one counseling, practical workshops, and connections to the resources and partners that help local businesses start, grow, and create jobs.A key part of this new approach, only offered at SCC, is a network of Senior Business Advisors, experienced professionals who will provide individualized guidance in areas such as business planning, finance, marketing, operations, growth strategy, and problem-solving. These advisors will serve as trusted partners to entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them turn ideas into action, overcome barriers, strengthen existing businesses, and pursue new opportunities. This one-on-one counseling is available at no cost, ensuring that high-quality business support is accessible to entrepreneurs at every stage.Senior Business Advisor for Hoke County, Kenna Parks. Photo provided by: SCCKenna Parks has been named the senior business advisor for Hoke County. She is a business professional, entrepreneur, and educator who brings a unique combination of academic training and real-world business experience. She earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2017 and has built her career around entrepreneurship, marketing, business development, and helping others turn ideas into sustainable opportunities.Senior Business Advisor for Moore County, Katrin Henderson. Photo provided by: SCCAs a military spouse, she has successfully launched and operated businesses across five states, giving her firsthand experience in adapting to diverse markets, building new customer bases and understanding the importance of global reach in today’s business environment. Over the last decade, her areas of focus include business planning, marketing strategy, branding, customer development, financial preparedness, operational planning and connecting entrepreneurs with educational programs and community resources.Parks brings an especially valuable perspective to business advising because she is an entrepreneur herself. She is the owner of Glamo Society Bridal & Formal Wear in Raeford, N.C., giving her firsthand experience with the realities of launching, operating, marketing and growing a small business. She understands that entrepreneurship extends far beyond developing a great idea; it requires strategy, financial awareness, adaptability, strong customer relationships, and consistent execution.Katrin Henderson will serve as the senior business advisor for Moore County. Thriving in hospitality and retail, Henderson has enjoyed positions in Food & Beverage Management and Retail Management in various fine dining and retail establishments in the area, before opening her own children's shop in 2015, in the Village of Pinehurst. She is a native of Moore County.Quickly immersing herself in this new world of small business ownership, Henderson joined various boards and committees, including President Elect of Pinehurst Business Partners and Event Chair for the Holly Arts & Crafts Festival. She also partnered with local organizations such as Moore County Economic Development and Moore County Chamber of Commerce and Sandhills Community College Small Business Center in events and educational opportunities. In 2026, Henderson sold her shop and now offers full-time support to both new and seasoned entrepreneurs through freelance consulting mentorship and the SCC Small Business Center program.The Small Business Center team is passionate about making business resources more accessible, and ensuring entrepreneurs know they do not have to navigate business ownership alone. Through their work with SCC, they are committed to building meaningful relationships with local businesses, community organizations, and industry partners while helping entrepreneurs move from idea to strategy, strategy to action, and action to sustainable growth.“Sandhills Community College believes deeply in the power of small business and entrepreneurship because strong local businesses create jobs, spark innovation, generate investment, and strengthen the communities we serve,” said McCaskill in press release. “Through this new Small Business Center model, Sandhills is building a stronger ecosystem where entrepreneurs can connect, grow, and thrive, while helping drive long-term economic vitality throughout our region.”To learn more about the Center's services or to schedule a consultation, please contact Kinsman directly at kinsmanl@sandhills.edu or 910-695-3938.
Man fatally shoots 2 co-workers at a Virginia business before killing himself, police say
A shooting at a northern Virginia business has left two workers dead. Police in Manassas say the suspect later took his own life during a standoff on Interstate 81. Manassas Police Chief Doug Keen says 37-year-old Marvin Grant opened fire at an equipment rental business Wednesday morning. Two wor...
AFROJACK brings CONTROL North American Tour to Brooklyn Storehouse
AFROJACK is bringing his latest chapter of dance music to Brooklyn this week as the GRAMMY Award-winning producer and DJ rakes over Brooklyn Storehouse on
Small Business Center Relaunch Brings New Director, Advisors
The North Carolina Community College system, and Moore County’s Sandhills Community College, is a resource for secondary and continuing education, allowing students to step into careers, find a new path
Jobless rates decline in most Arkansas metros in August
August jobless rates were lower in six of the seven metro areas in or connected to Arkansas compared with August 2025, with Northwest Arkansas having the lowest rate at 2.9%....
A study in light and focus
A member of the Northeastern community studies in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Governor Stein announces $20 million fund to increase access to healthcare in rural North Carolina
$20 million fund aims to expand healthcare in rural North Carolina
NC sports betting exceeds $500M for 12th consecutive month
Legal online sports betting in August was up nearly 9% over August 2025 in North Carolina.
LG’s $64M Virginia factory will make data center chillers
The Korean electronics maker's North America arm expects to create 164 jobs at the 352,000-square-foot 460 Commerce Center in Shirley T. Holland Intermodal Park in Isle of Wight County. The Korean electronics maker's North America arm expects to create 164 jobs at the 352,000-square-foot 460 Commerce Center in Shirley T. Holland Intermodal Park in Isle of Wight County.
Leave your politics behind: Greenland is a historic US victory
The United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed a permanent agreement granting the U.S. broad military access to Greenland to bolster North Atlantic security and counter influence from Russia and …
‘You can speak the language, but can you speak the culture?’: Latine businesses offer welcoming spaces in Alamance County
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City seeks housing developers for vacant North Corktown lots
Detroit is offering the opportunity on 16 lots for 20 homes in the neighborhood near Michigan Central plus $2.5 million through its Small Buildings Program.
Essentia Health-Northern Pines Clinic welcomes family medicine specialist Dr. Mikaela Lake
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Grasshopper Manufacture Leaves NetEase Games to Operate as Independent Studio
Suda51's studio, maker of No More Heroes and Killer7, has split from NetEase Games to work as an independent developer again.
New Policies Pose Risks to Health of Lawfully Present Immigrant Families and Children, Including U.S. Citizen Children
Several policy changes taking effect this fall will negatively impact immigrants and mixed-status families. As my colleague Leo Cuello has pointed out, undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in Medicaid coverage, therefore, this blog explains changes that apply to lawfully present immigrant families and children (many of whom are U.S. citizens). It’s also worth […]