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White nationalism’s appeal runs deeper than partisan politics
Nearly 1 in 7 white men under 30 in the US support white nationalism, and partisanship alone doesn’t explain who’s drawn to it.
What's Missing From Conversations About Women's Health?
From menopause to healthy digestion, there can sometimes be vital information missing from conversations surrounding women’s health so Dr. Jennifer Ashton, board-certified in OBGYN and obesity medicine with a master’s in nutrition, joins TODAY to help fill-in some of the blanks.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance Dev Hopes GTA 6 Will Encourage Studios to Charge More for Their Games
Warhorse co-founder Martin Klima wants GTA 6 to “blaze a trail” for higher game prices.
Original Xbox Version of Halo: Combat Evolved Made Available to Play in a Browser
The original Xbox version of Halo: Combat Evolved has been made available to play in a web browser.
The Mindsets Leaders Need as AI Accelerates the Pace of Business
AI is changing not only what leaders need to know, but how they need to think. Yet many are struggling to adapt to the speed, uncertainty, and emotional complexity of an AI-driven workplace. To keep pace, you need to shift the mindsets that shape your behavior in three important ways: from certainty to clarity, from expertise to exploration, and from emotional control to emotional insight. A simple four-step practice—pause, perceive, pivot, and practice—can help you start to recognize and change automatic reactions. By deliberately reshaping the assumptions and patterns that guide your behavior, you can become more adaptable, curious, and effective as the nature of work continues to change.
Major Sarasota employer named Florida’s best for health care workers
A major Sarasota County employer ranks No. 1 in Florida for health care professionals after a sharp climb on a national list.
Sarasota employer surges into nation’s top 20 for health care workers
One of Sarasota County’s largest employers jumped from No. 75 to No. 17 nationally, earning Florida’s top spot for health care workers.
UMHB Meets Fundraising Challenge for New Science Lab Facility
UMHB Meets Fundraising Challenge for New Science Lab Facility
The 4 Biggest Red Flags to Look for in Your Family Medical History
In TODAY.com’s Expert Tip of the Day, a doctor reveals what your family health history can tell you about your health and which red flags to bring up to a doctor.
AI-generated Fallout: New York browser game full of utterly cursed faces slapped with Bethesda cease and desist, its slop prompter claims
Bethesda have seemingly slapped an AI-generated Fallout: New York browser game with cease and desist order.
Sports quiz of the week: winners, losers, prodigies, heroes, villains and rivals
Have you been watching football, chess, cricket, rugby, motor racing, hockey, boxing, table tennis and horse racing?
CD Projekt Red addresses divisive lighting changes in a new Witcher 3 Remastered PC patch
The Witcher 3 has been patched to address lighting issues in the Remastered edition. This has been a hotly debated topic since the overhaul was released.
Is James Talarico about to flip Texas for the Democrats?
Jonathan Freedland speaks to James Henson, founder and executive director of the Texas Politics Project, about why a blue wave in the Lone Star state would be seismic
Made in Iowa recap: Sukup Manufacturing innovating for the next generation
For Sukup Manufacturing Co., innovation has never been limited to the products rolling off the manufacturing floor. It can mean a robot installed decades before automation became a manufacturing buzzword. It can mean building a childcare center across the street from the plant, opening an on-site health clinic or establishing an engineering presence in Ames…
Gears of War: E-Day is missing iconic features like chainsaw duels and meat shields, but The Coalition says we shouldn't worry - they're "not gone from the franchise"
The Coalition knows how you feel about "Meat Shields, Chainsaw Duels, select weapons from the franchise’s past".
Scientists could one day remove your bad memories. Here's how
Madeleine Finlay hears from Steve Ramirez, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, whose book How to Change a Memory was shortlisted for this year’s Royal Society Trivedi science book prize. He explains how scientists have been able to locate memories in the brains of rodents, trigger them artificially and even remove them, and reveals what the practical applications of this science could one day be for humans.
Steve Hilton faces steep odds in bid for California governor after 20-year GOP drought
Republican Steve Hilton's biggest obstacle to becoming California's next governor is simple math.
The mental health of politicians is a critical issue
Elected politicians make decisions that can affect millions, but do they receive the support they need?
The mental health of politicians is a critical issue
Elected politicians make decisions that can affect millions, but do they receive the support they need?
After turmoil, South County Health lands Mayo Clinic deal
South County Health joins Mayo Clinic’s network, giving RI patients access to top specialists and resources while keeping local control.
One Jackson area restaurant fails three health inspections in two weeks
Four Jackson area facilities including a high school and a theater failed health inspections in September 2026.
Detroit Harvest Fest adds movies, more food trucks in year 6
Detroit Harvest Fest returns to the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. riverfront park with 40 food trucks, live music and outdoor movie screenings.
Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin's very different week on health care
Senators acted on bills and Wisconsin's Ron Johnson held a roundtable on COVID procedures before the Senate left town for campaign season.
Stow plans first DORA near AMP. When will the entertainment venue open?
If approved, Stow would be the fifth city in Summit County with a DORA, or Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area.
How speed cameras in East Canton are impacting local businesses
Some business owners in East Canton claim business has slowed after the village installed automated traffic enforcement cameras around town.
Lubbock business news includes Optimum grant, openings, closings
Business Reporter Alana Edgin reviews recent Lubbock area businesses news and hints at upcoming articles in the Around the Hub column.
GTA 6 Rating Officially Confirms Sex Will Indeed Be in the Game
Grand Theft Auto 6 is about to spice things up
Empowering Small Business: The Impact of Technology on U.S. Small Business
A new Chamber report finds AI use is leading to small business job growth.
PS5 gets "AI-guided upscaling" a bit like PS5 Pro's, and it's available now in Marvel's Wolverine and Ghost of Yotei
AI upscaling was previously exclusive to PS5 Pro, but base PS5s are getting a watered down version, and it's available now.
What your eyes could reveal about your heart health
Retinal images could contain information about future cardiovascular risk, including atrial fibrillation.
Derzypolski, Perez debate Tallahassee economy, party politics
P.J. Perez and Tom Derzypolski, the candidates vying for City Seat 3, debated affordability, Amendment 3 and other issues at a Sept. 25 forum.
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.
L.L. Bean, Super G Mart lead wave of Upstate business growth
Here's a round-up of Upstate business news, including when to expect L.L. Bean, Super G Mart, Tractor Supply, Scout's Doughnuts and more to open.
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.
Here’s when sushi is healthy, and when it’s not
Sushi often contains nutrient-rich fish, seaweed and important nutrients in vegetables. But not every roll is equally healthy.
'Money out of politics': Understanding Proposal 2 on Michigan November 2026 ballot
If voters approve Proposal 2, known as the “money out of politics” proposal, certain organizations and individuals would be limited in funding political campaigns, and regulations would apply to other types of political communications.
Shingles cases dropping among people who got chickenpox vaccine, data shows
The virus that causes chickenpox can reactivate during adulthood, causing the painful, itchy rash known as shingles.
Congo's Ebola outbreak has recorded over 4,000 deaths as authorities struggle to contain the virus
Congo's Ebola outbreak has now recorded more than 4,000 deaths as authorities struggle to contain the virus.
Congo's Ebola outbreak records more than 4,000 deaths as authorities struggle to contain the virus
Congo’s Ebola outbreak has now recorded more than 4,000 deaths, authorities said as they struggle to contain the spread of the virus.
Health officials confirm mumps outbreak in San Diego
Health officials confirm mumps outbreak in San Diego
Person Behind Viral AI-Generated Fallout: New York Game Hauls It Offline, Says Bethesda Issued Cease and Desist
The person behind a viral AI-generated Fallout: New York game has pulled it offline after receiving a cease and desist from Bethesda.
Why boxing is still a box office smash hit even as the sport’s popularity wanes
Fighters have always provided rich material for stories on stage and screen and the appeal to audiences has not wavered
‘Self-healing’ coach who was banned from working in Australia to speak in UK
Barbara O’Neill has previously claimed that cancer is a fungus that can be treated with bicarbonate soda
Royal College of Nursing cuts ties with Israeli drug company
Britain’s nursing union axes Teva UK as commercial partner over links to Israel’s military and corporate track record
Eminem and Kid Rock Prioritize Friendship Over Politics on New Track: 'We Hope That Sets an Example'
Eminem and Kid Rock have teamed up on a new track that they hope will set a good example for friends with differing politi...
Southwest baseball coach Nick Mendez reflects on 25-year career, impact on players
Vance talks 2028, Ted Cruz and a tough midterm climate that could factor into his future
In an interview with NBC News, Vance said he is cautiously optimistic that Republicans’ numbers are improving even as concerns about the war and gas prices take a political toll.
Join the Pokémon Night Out Livestream to Party from Home
Check out the full merch collection and find out how you can join the party from home.
‘This is my man cave’: Auto parts business in Gordon marks 50 years as community hub
Hinn Gordon Auto Supply looks like a typical auto parts store from the outside. Inside, owner Jerry Kearns has created a destination that is anything but ordinary.
New GTA 6 Age Rating Confirms Game Will Feature Sex Scenes
GTA 6 will have sex scenes, according to a new listing from international ratings boards.
Fox Business reveals replacement for Maria Bartiromo's morning show
Fox Business Network revealed the new lineup replacing "Mornings with Maria" after Maria Bartiromo's sudden exit.
‘It’s very sad’: Spurs’ Wembanyama rules out sports betting endorsements
Spurs star says it is ‘very sad’ to see NBA players promote gambling companies and insists money no longer drives his sponsorship decisions
Willis ownership shifting with addition of Sewell family as new partner
Willis Automotive and the Sewell Family of Companies today announced a new partnership that will see Willis Chairman Rich Willis sell the company to current CEO Jason Willis and Collin Sewell of the Sewell Family. Jason Willis will continue to serve as president of Willis Automotive and remain an owner alongside Sewell. Rich Willis, chairman…
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.
What undecided voters want to hear: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Trump’s economic disconnect.
EXCLUSIVE: Embrace Trump or not?; Amendment 3's carrots and sticks
Republicans damned if they embrace President Donald Trump, and damned if they don't. Amendment 3 offers tax cuts — but at what cost?
50 children in our area hit by cars every year; toxic pond water in Centennial Park; ‘gas station heroin’; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
In a news report following a Murfreesboro child who was killed by an automobile, reporter Amber Jayanth from WSMV Channel 4 News cited statistics gathered at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt about pediatric pedestrian injuries. Trauma registry data from Monroe Carell indicates that about 50 children per year on average are treated after being hit by a car. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: CNN (mRNA flu vaccine); ABC News and the American Journal of Managed Care (Pennsylvania measles outbreak); News Channel 5 (blue-green algae in the pond at Centennial Park, which can release toxins that make people and pets sick). WSMV Channel 4 News interviewed Saumya Aujla, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, about the health risks of kratom, sometimes called “gas station heroin,” and why Tennessee banned the drug. WTVF News Channel 5 interviewed Brianna Smith, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for a piece on Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Prevention interviewed Mitchell Gigandet, MD, Assistant Professor in the Neuro-Sleep Division, for a story about MDPI research on caffeine that used EEG imaging to see how the drug impacts sleep. It was found that caffeine may make sleep less restorative even when you fall asleep normally and stay in bed for eight hours. The Wall Street Journal reporter Laura Landro interviewed Joseph Schlesinger, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine, for a story about ICU alarms keeping patients from getting sleep and creating alarm fatigue for nurses. Billboard reporter Melinda Newman interviewed country star Dasha about her upcoming vocal surgery at Vanderbilt Health. The story was picked up by numerous print and radio outlets including People.
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
Getting too many political texts? Here’s how Texans can stop or block them
How to stop political texts on your phone in Texas before Election Day
Expert reveals US business owners set to bear brunt of Canadian tariff fallout as trade war uncertainty looms
Karan Ramchandani says Trump's import bans on Canadian dairy, alcohol and automobiles could trigger inflation as production costs hit consumers.
How GTA 6's Jason and Lucia Have Evolved Since 2023 In Pictures
GTA 6 officially releases next month, so we're taking a look at how the game's two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, have evolved since their 2023 reveal.
Welcome to the new Reform roadshow. Same as the last but more desperate
Nige is not rattled that the UK likes its new PM. Or that Reform is second in the polls. Oh no. Because Nige believes in Nige
Michigan high school football rankings: Top 20 ahead of Week 6 (Sept. 29)
We’re midway through the Michigan high school football season, and the Week 5 edition of the Power Poll arrives with plenty to sort through.
Are right-brained people really more creative? Here’s what the science really tells us
Here’s what over 150 years of science really tells us about being left-brained vs right-brained.
Hinojosa claims Abbott using cops for political gain in Texas governor race
Gina Hinojosa accuses Gov. Greg Abbott of using Texas law enforcement for political gain in a new ad ahead of the 2026 Texas governor election.
007 First Light's First DLC Out Now, Adds New Game Plus
The 007 First Light Extended Operations DLC launches for free today, and adds five different missions to the TacSim mode, along with New Game Plus, new outfits and a photo mode that was somehow missing from the game at launch.
GTA 6 Gets Official ESRB Rating and It's As Mature as You'd Expect
In the most obvious turn of events, GTA 6 has officially been rated M for Mature by the ESRB, and it will of course include nudity.
Prediction markets are going mainstream. What does that mean for public health and democracy?
Prediction markets are becoming mainstream, bringing gambling risks and a novel source of political information to public life.
Artificial Intelligence Could Reshape Dealership Business Development Centers
Artificial intelligence could sharply reduce staffing inside automobile dealership Business Development Centers within the next two years, according to a prediction from Car Dealership Guy founder and CEO Yossi J. Levi.
Attacks on cultural heritage are unfolding with authoritarian politics in the U.S. and beyond
In recent years, several governments have placed the very heritage they are charged to protect at risk.
Blizzard Cracks Down on Gold Selling in World of Warcraft Forever — and Streamers Are in the Firing Line
World of Warcraft: Classic has had a gold selling problem for its entire existence, but with Forever, Blizzard seems hard-set on reversing that trend, and some streamers are getting caught in the act.
Trump says he’d consider issuing pardons to administration officials before he leaves office
The president referenced pre-emptive pardons that President Joe Biden had issued on his last day in office to people Trump had threatened.
Kennedy to roll out $10 million challenge to encourage Presidential Fitness Test in schools
Since President Trump revived the test last year, the administration has looked for ways to boost participation.
Judge bars Jeanine Pirro’s office from bringing Reflecting Pool case after Trump comments
Judge Todd Edelman entered an order on Thursday that dismissed the case against David “Davey” Hearn with prejudice.
Jason Jones, Co-Creator of Halo and Destiny and Co-Founder of Bungie, Announces New Studio
Jason Jones, one of the co-founders of Bungie and a co-creator of Halo and Destiny, has announced his new studio, Stone Kite, which will work on projects across various entertainment mediums. The studio's first release is One Zero One, a limited-series comic book based on a manuscript written by Jones.
Start TODAY’s October Challenge: Routine Revamp, Healthy Meals
October is the perfect time to revamp your routines, so fitness contributor Stephanie Mansour stops by Studio 1A to break down some easy Start TODAY workouts, which can be accessed for free on the app this month. TODAY nutrition and health expert Joy Bauer also shares some simple meals, including a French toast grilled cheese, cottage cheese fettuccine alfredo, pumpkin peanut butter, and more!
Amanda Peet Reveals First ‘Weird’ Sign of Breast Cancer. It Wasn’t a Lump
The actor said her very first indication something was wrong “wasn’t the frozen pea that everybody talks about,” she told TODAY.
90% of Life Sciences Manufacturers Say Digital Transformation Is Now Business-Critical, According to New Rockwell Automation Report
/PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, today released "The New Operating...
90% of Life Sciences Manufacturers Say Digital Transformation Is Now Business-Critical, According to New Rockwell Automation Report
/PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, today released "The New Operating...
Ace Combat 8 developer apologises for Belkan War pre-order backlash, explains why it happened and vows to explore possible solutions
The team behind Ace Combat 8 has issued a statement in response to the controversy surrounding the game's pre-order bonus game, The Belkan War.
For every two seconds of frustration, there are 10 seconds of euphoria: the Gears of War E-Day campaign is a satisfying, meaty return to form for The Coalition
Less a complete reset for the series, and more of an 'active reload', E-Day proves there's still life in these old Cogs yet.
Cops Can Bypass iPhone’s Automatic Reboot to Get Into Locked Phones, Leaked Video Claims
Magent Forensics, the owner of the GrayKey phone unlocking tool, says it can bypass an iPhone rebooting feature that was locking cops out.
As private equity, politics and prediction markets reshape sports, is the press box up to the task?
Sports journalism has sometimes been called the ‘toy department,’ since it was known for less serious reporting. But the sports page has an opportunity to take on a real watchdog role.
As private equity, politics and prediction markets reshape sports, is the press box up to the task?
Sports journalism has sometimes been called the ‘toy department,’ since it was known for less serious reporting. But the sports page has an opportunity to take on a real watchdog role.
Global health research makes America richer and healthier
US-funded research into the health of people abroad has large health and economic benefits for Americans.
Online fraud looks like business as usual
Establishing a clear set of employee guidelines doesn’t have to be complicated.
Witcher 3 Remastered patch addressing "various lighting adjustments" rolls out
CD Projekt Red patches The Witcher 3's Remastered edition to address brightness and other issues.
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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