Unsubstantiated Ideas Quotes
In politics, the most frequent examples are conspiracy theories and economic and/or political principles that are derived from ideology with little or mothing real from which to provide a deducible justification. An explanation that seems not to be contradicted is not an explanation that could be called true unless there is some evidence to support it, not a lack of evidence to refute it. There are millions of propositions in the world for which there is no evidence to reject them, but that does not make them true." 3rd Earl Russell of Kingston
Proof in a scientific and mathematical context is very different from the legal concept of proof. For Feynman, proof consisted of both being able to deduce a statement in much the same way as a proof is offered in plane geometry and being able to construct an experiment which will demonstrate the validity (confirm the prediction of what will happen all cases. As a theoretical physicist, most of his proofs were of the mathematical, deductive kind. There are many phenomena in mathematics and science that were, and are, known long before someone was able to offer a proof.
Bundy was discussing various Vietnam scenarios with a former White House aide who challenged several assumptions and asked Bundy what would happen if the North Vietnamese would escalate their ground war in the South in retaliation for U. S. bombing. Bundy sated that he didn't believe that would happen, but Hughes asked him to assume it would and discuss the consequence.
3rd Earl Russell of Kingston
This quotation illustrates a major difference between scientists and politicians. When a politician changes a major position, he/she tends to feel obligated to explain or apologize as if he/she might have done something wrong. An explanation is certainly required. This contrasts with the scientist who has a change of mind. He/she just states it and moves on. If data changes and more is learned all scientists expect views to change, and the progress of science can be measured by the number of these changes. For a similar view from the political world, consider {619441} .
