Testing and the Scientific Method

[okiemax]

Here is a quote from: http://home.xnet.com/%7Eblatura/skep_1.html#1.1

"On the other hand the theory that "there is an invisible snorg reading this over your shoulder" is not falsifiable. There is no experiment or possible evidence that could prove that invisible snorgs do not exist. So the Snorg Hypothesis is not scientific. On the other hand, the "Negative Snorg Hypothesis" (that they do not exist) is scientific. You can disprove it by catching one. Similar arguments apply to yetis, UFOs and the Loch Ness Monster. See also question 5.2 on the age of the Universe."

I would have to say that audio cables fit the Snorg Hypothesis quite well. It is interesting that it appears the negative of this hypothesis is actually the scientific one, i.e. cables do not sound different. So it looks like you have to catch one (i.e. show that cables can sound different) to disprove this Negative Snorg Hypothesis that I for one hold onto as the front-running candidate for the Truth.

We already know you can't use hypothesis testing to prove something doesn't exist. The Snorg hypothesis is just the use of an absurdity to help explain why a negative can't be proved. I don't see anything new here. It looks like you are again trying to discredit claims about cables by comparing them to other claims that are patently absurd.

Labeling the hypothesis as "not scientific" because it can't be disproved, and labeling the null hypothesis as "scientific" because it can be disproved adds nothing to what we already know, and can be misleading. These labels might imply that the null hypothesis "cables sound the same" is somehow better than the hypothesis "cables sound different," which makes no sense.

I may be misinterpreting your remarks, but I wonder whether you are trying to turn things upside down and use "cables sound the same" as the hypothesis instead of the null hypothesis. If so, I don't think you can do that.

I'm sorry, Mike. I had intended this as a reply to you last post on this thread, but put it in the wrong place.