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West Baton Rouge Parish Health Clinic hosts free health screening fair
West Baton Rouge Parish Health Clinic hosts free health screening fair
China nominates health official to lead WHO
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has nominated health official Song Li to lead the World Health Organization, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday, as Beiji
China Nominates Health Official to Lead WHO
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has nominated health official Song Li to lead the World Health Organization, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday, as Beijing seeks to expand its presence in international governing bodies. The World Health Assembly is set to elect the next WHO head in May. That ...
Law firm hires official who worked for Whitmer, Snyder and Granholm to lead new government practice
Melanie Brown, who most recently was the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s executive ombudsman, will be managing director of Miller Johnson's new government solutions practice.
Businesses known for unique offerings in Asheville expand to Greenville
Businesses with Asheville ties are now expanding to downtown Greenville
New iPad Mini Rumored to Have 60Hz OLED Display Ahead of Launch
Ahead of the expected imminent launch of the new iPad mini 8, word out of Asia suggests that the device will feature a 60Hz OLED display rather than a ProMotion 120Hz display. The information comes courtesy of a hit-and-miss tipster running the account "yeux1122" on the Korean Naver blog. "There have been mentions of 120Hz in some overseas reports, but the domestic production quantity has already been confirmed to be LTPS at 60Hz," the tipster wrote. "That's it".
President Trump Remarks at Science and Technology Summit in Washington, D.C.
President Trump hosts a summit to highlight technology, artificial intelligence, scientific innovation, and his administration's updated science policy framework.
Breast cancer survivors join together as CHI Health St. Elizabeth shines pink for October
CHI Health hosted its 16th annual ladies night on Wednesday, celebrating those impacted by the disease as they gathered to support one another.
Detroit Free Press
District 142 is expanding in downtown Wyandotte with District Sound Lounge, a music-themed space with food, drinks, memorabilia and entertainment. See link below ⬇️ 📸 Provided by District 142
Rosie O’Donnell apologizes to Wynonna Judd after labeling her a Trump supporter: ‘I was wrong to assume’
Rosie O’Donnell has apologized to Wynonna Judd after assuming the country music star was a Trump supporter.
Attackers Hijack .gh, .sl, and .as Registries to Obtain Certificates for Google Domains
Attackers hijacked .gh, .sl, and .as registries and obtained 12 unauthorized certificates for Google and YouTube domains.
Rose Brand Acquires IWEISS, Bringing Together Complementary Expertise For The Future Of Live Entertainment
Two major companies have joined forces: Rose Brand and IWEISS have spent more than a centu | Rose Brand has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire IWEISS, bringing together two highly respected companies with decades of experience serving the entertainment, performing arts, event, and architectural markets.
Prime Day Offers Best TV Prices of the Year From Samsung, Sony, and More
Prime Big Deal Days is in full swing this week, offering massive savings on everything from AirPods to MacBook Pro and much more. We've been keeping an eye on these Apple-related Prime Day discounts all week, but now we're also tracking great sales on other categories, including TVs. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Buffalo County Health and Human Services offering free tick prevention kits
Tick prevention kits are available at various locations throughout the county.
Jonathan Rivnay receives Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists
Soft bioelectronics and living pharmacy devices recognized with prestigious award and $250,000 prize
Boulder County Business Hall of Fame inducts Niwot's Denis Nock
Stars were out for the 2026 Boulder County Business Hall of Fame's induction ceremony at the Boulder Jewish Community Center on Sept. 30, which has often honored Niwot-area residents. Among last year's honorees were Art and Debbi Stapp of Stapp Interstate Toyota, Kena and Mark Guttridge of Ollin Farms, and Bert Steele of Niwot Market. Among those h...
Micron's Taoyuan union in Taiwan secures authorisation to strike
A Taiwanese union representing workers at Micron Technology said on Wednesday it had secured authorisation from its members to strike work over a dispute concerning the company's bonus scheme, escalating a labour conflict at the chipmaker's largest manufacturing hub.
South Korea unveils $747 billion energy transition plan through 2035
South Korea's government on Wednesday unveiled a 1,000 trillion won ($747 billion) energy transition and decarbonisation strategy through 2035, aiming to expand renewable power, transform heavy industry and create new drivers of growth.
Teladoc unveils remote monitoring, ambient AI features
The company’s virtual care platform has integrated artificial intelligence scribing and camera-based vitals monitoring as it works to recover from significant financial setbacks.
Savannah 6 launches to strengthen customer service across local businesses
The first public session of Savannah 6 kicked off Tuesday at the Hyatt in Downtown Savannah.
Celebrating Ron Hearst: Business owners share thoughts on Ron’s viral shorts moment
For 38 years, he’s tracked the storms so you didn’t have to worry. Friday night, KY3 Chief Meteorologist Ron Hearst retires, capping a career the Ozarks won’t forget.
Florida Department of Health warns of mosquito-borne illnesses in tested Manatee County chickens
DOH- Manatee and the Manatee County Mosquito Control District are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts by source reduction.
Washington Should Prepare for a Chinese Political Takeover of Taiwan
A bloodless political victory may be far harder for Washington to handle.
Governor Candidate Amy Acton (D-OH) Visits Small Business in Columbus
Candidate for governor Amy Acton (D-OH) visits a small business in Columbus.
As Taiwan expands Arizona chip plant, China warns against developing political ties
The world's biggest chipmaker now manufactures at scale in Phoenix, as well as Taiwan. China is warning political leaders in Arizona to not get too friendly.
Kenya confirms first Ebola case imported from Congo, patient has died
Kenya has recorded its first confirmed Ebola case, a Kenyan citizen who has been living in Democratic Republic of Congo and arrived in Nairobi on Saturday, health minister Aden Duale said.
Brian Greene stops teaching Frontiers of Science after more than a decade
Brian Greene, a prominent theoretical physicist and popular science commentator, has stopped teaching Frontiers of Science, according to the course’s fall 2026 syllabus reviewed by Spectator.
Indoor playground Kid Mania closes Plano location
The indoor playground Kid Mania closed its Plano location on Chase Oaks Blvd. in mid-September, downsizing to its north Fort Worth location.
Secret Lair Heads South with Festival in a Box: Atlanta 2026 and Mystery Booster Commander Edition
Bolster your collection with Mystery Booster Commander Edition, a sweet new drop, and cool promos from Festival in a Box: Atlanta 2026!
1 person in Hamilton County infected with West Nile virus, health department says
One person has been diagnosed with contracting West Nile virus, the first confirmed case in Hamilton County in 2026.
Apple's Newest Macs Just Got Their Biggest Price Cuts Yet on Amazon
Prime Big Deal Days sales are already starting, and have now hit Apple's brand new Mac mini and Mac Studio computers. You can get up to $199 off these 2026 devices with Amazon's latest savings. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Community health fair provides one-stop shop for Arlington families
Arlington's third annual community health fair brought crowds to Carlin Springs Elementary School over the weekend. From flu shots and eye exams to bike giveaways and tips for healthier eating, the event hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Arlington and VHC Health offered a one-stop shop for families. "It's a lot of fun on a
Orange County Celebrity Chefs and Health-conscious Founders This Month on ‘Walk-Ins Welcome’
We had an all-star line-up of guests in September on “Walk-Ins Welcome.” Amar Santana of “Top Chef” and executive chef/owner of Vaca and Broadway talked about
Bolsonaro and Lula head to a runoff in Brazil's presidential election
Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of President Donald Trump, and Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face off in a runoff Oct. 25 for the top job of Latin America’s powerhouse economy after neither won a majority in Sunday's vote.
Three Japanese regional banks consider business integration
The Japanese lenders concerned are Procrea Holdings, Akita Bank, and Bank of Iwate.
Science Highlights Six Overlooked Pioneers Who Missed the Nobel Prize in Medicine
The international journal Science has spotlighted six groundbreaking achievements in the life sciences that never received Nobel Prize recognition.…
Southern Taiwan Science Park revenue climbs 36.5% in first eight months of 2026
Companies in the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) posted record revenue of NT$2.495124 trillion (US$78.59 billion) in the first eight months of 2026, up 36.5% from a year earlier, according to the STSP Bureau. The bureau said the growth reflected the global AI boom and the park's expanding role in the high-tech supply chain.
Bora Biologics and Protect Animal Health Enter Strategic, Long-Term Multi-Project Collaboration to Advance Antibody-Based Animal Health Products
Partnership includes development and manufacturing support for multiple monoclonal and bispecific antibody programs targeting U. and global animal health marketsSAN DIEGO, CA AND TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN / ACCESS Newswire / October 4, 2026 / , a U.
Boston 25 News
A local college student’s auto detailing business has grown from helping family and neighbors to servicing the vehicles of professional athletes across New England.
More than 1,000 walk in Concord for NAMI New Hampshire menta...
More than 1,000 people joined NAMIWalks New Hampshire in Concord, raising over $250,000 for mental health and suicide prevention as Mental Illness Awareness Wee...
NAMIWalks Charleston brings community together to fight mental health stigma
People gathered at Palmetto Islands County Park on Saturday for NAMIWalks Charleston, an annual event focused on raising awareness, building community and expan
Guest Commentary: Affordability without access isn’t sound health policy
Byron Donalds’ record of politicizing his health policy is harmful, writes a former healthcare CEO.
Rare police raid of Taipei gay bar sparks angry protest
Around 100 members of Taipei's LGBTQ+ community protested on Sunday after police raided a gay bar the day before and detained its customers, a highly unusual move given that Taiwan prides itself on its liberal image and legal support for sexual minorities.
No. 5 SFA Lumberjacks beat UIW Cardinals 28-26
NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK) — The fifth-ranked SFA Lumberjacks football team was back at Homer Bryce Stadium for the second-straight week to host the Incarnate Word Cardinals in a Southland Conference matchup. SFA ended up holding off the Cardinals 28-26 to stay unbeaten this season. SFA quarterback Gavin Rutherford passed it to Jaylen Jenkins who ran […]
Luzerne County Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2026
KINGSTON — The Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame held its 4th annual induction ceremony on Saturday at the Kirby Center for Creative Arts on the campus of Wyoming Seminary. The event featured live performances from the Back Doors, Mere Mortals, and the Cino Paci Band, live tributes to Thomas Hrynkiw and George Korson, and other video features.
Hundreds gather to support Mental Health Awareness
MADISON, (WKOW) — More than 700 people gathered for a NAMIWalks event in Dane County, coming together to raise awareness about mental illness and support mental health resources in the
NAMIWalks at Asbury Methodist Church raises over $116,000 for mental health awareness
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) held its annual walk fundraiser on Saturday at the Asbury Methodist Church on East Avenue.
NVIDIA Raises Shield TV Pro Price to $299, Discontinues Standard Shield TV
NVIDIA has raised the price of the Shield TV Pro from $199.99 to $299.99, effective October 2. The streaming box launched in October 2019 at $199.99 and held that price for almost seven years. Earlier this year, NVIDIA promised to keep updating the Shield TV, with hardware engineering SVP Andrew...
Strategic sovereignty, social movements, and political agency: Evidence from the US-Israeli military campaign in Iran
Military intervention may be undertaken to weaken a hostile regime and strengthen the position of its opponents. This column argues that evidence from the 2026 US-Israeli strikes on Iran points to a different outcome: the strikes left total protest levels broadly unchanged but sharply reoriented mobilisation away from anti-government protest and toward pro-government activity. The findings suggest that overt foreign intervention can make sovereignty politically valuable to incumbent governments by making domestic opposition easier to portray as aligned with an external adversary.
Shaping the Future of Global Health: 'Go Healthy with Taiwan 2026' Unveils Top 20 Innovators from 62 Nations
TAIPEI, Taiwan, October 02, 2026--The "Go Healthy with Taiwan 2026" global proposal campaign has selected 20 semifinalists from 832 proposals across 62 countries, with two more rounds of selection still to come. The 20 shortlisted teams hail from 16 countries worldwide, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, France, India, Israel, Japan, Malawi, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine, and U.S.A., fully demonstrating strong international diversity and innovative energy.
Health officials alarmed by increased measles cases amid proposals to lower vaccine mandates in Florida
Health officials in Florida are ringing the alarm as confirmed measles cases continue to explode across the state.
Moms of infants overcome barriers to postpartum care with help from patient navigators
A new Northwestern Medicine study has found patient navigators — trained guides who help patients access care and resources while working alongside the healthcare team — can ease the challenging transition to motherhood for low-income pregnant individuals, leading to better health in their postpartum period and more consistent primary care for years to come.
NAMIWALKS bring QC together for mental health awareness
Residents across the Quad Cities are invited to join NAMIWalks Greater Mississippi Valley on Saturday, Oct. 10, to be a part of what is the nation’s largest mental health awareness event series. NAMIWalks is more than a walk – it’s a movement, organizers say. This year’s “Together We Are NAMIWalks” theme reflects the strength, connection […]
You can now buy more than 2,000 games for $5 or less on Steam
That's right: The 2026 Steam Autumn Sale is live.
Trump does not rule out demolishing the Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center was closed last month amid a legal battle over whether President Donald Trump can add his name to the performing arts venue.
HOMETOWN HEALTH: Doctors more cautious prescribing anxiety medication, studies show
Prescriptions for the anxiety drug benzodiazepine are declining in the United States.
Arts and entertainment events happening October 1st-4th across the Mid-Ohio Valley
Jeff Dewitt joins Daybreak to discuss what’s happening October 1st-4th across the Mid-Ohio Valley!
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.
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