Biblical Keys for Discerning True and False Prophets/Considering Joseph Smith/Paradigm debate/The Limits of Verification

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The Limits of Verification

No scientific theory can be verified. One cannot prove that a theory is true by showing that conclusions deduced from it agree with experiment since:

  1. future experiments may conflict with theory,
  2. another theory may be equally compatible with present evidence.

“From a finite set of particular observations, one cannot derive a universal generalization with certainty.” (Barbour, 98)