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To: frgoff

"That's not what Behe said."

Wriggle and squirm from this, if you will. Theories don't have to be true. I love it. He just wants to redefine scientific theory so that he can get ID under the bar, but he has to acknowledge that his redefinition also lets astrology in under the bar too. "a proposition based on physical evidence to explain some facts by logical inferences" is only a small part of what every other scientist in the world regards as required for theories.

Q Under that same definition astrology is a scientific theory under your definition, correct?

A Under my definition, a scientific theory is a proposed explanation which focuses or points to physical, observable data and logical inferences. There are many things throughout the history of science which we now think to be incorrect which nonetheless would fit that -- which would fit that definition. Yes, astrology is in fact one, and so is the ether theory of the propagation of light, and many other -- many other theories as well.

Q The ether theory of light has been discarded, correct?

A That is correct.

Q But you are clear, under your definition, the definition that sweeps in intelligent design, astrology is also a scientific theory, correct?

A Yes, that's correct. And let me explain under my definition of the word "theory," it is -- a sense of the word "theory" does not include the theory being true, it means a proposition based on physical evidence to explain some facts by logical inferences. There have been many theories throughout the history of science which looked good at the time which further progress has shown to be incorrect. Nonetheless, we can't go back and say that because they were incorrect they were not theories. So many many things that we now realized to be incorrect, incorrect theories, are nonetheless theories.


696 posted on 02/14/2006 8:58:05 AM PST by Thatcherite (More abrasive blackguard than SeaLion or ModernMan)
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To: Thatcherite
it means a proposition based on physical evidence to explain some facts by logical inferences.

This is the definition I learned in my Physics courses as well.

I'm not the one doing the twisting, here.

751 posted on 02/14/2006 11:39:32 AM PST by frgoff
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