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Explanations vs. Predictions
- Good explanations account for how things work and are hard to vary.
- Predictions, even if accurate, don't necessarily explain underlying mechanisms.
Dinosaur Extinction Example
- Brett Hall and David Deutsch discussed the dinosaur extinction event as an example of explanatory power.
- Unobservable past events (like an asteroid impact) can explain present phenomena.
Verisimilitude and Truth
- David Deutsch avoids the term "verisimilitude" because it implies a measurable closeness to truth.
- He prefers focusing on knowledge and problem-solving, considering truth a property of abstractions, not something directly measurable.