A Google search for 'hypothetico-deductive' unearthed a peach of an essay by
Sean Scheiderer at Ohio State University that describes your poor Doctor Steve here to a tee. Recall that Popper's H-D method included the prospect of falsification, from which the good Doc feels his hypotheses are conveniently exempted. Discussing the end stage of the falsification process:
quote:
Finally, when no other fault can be discerned, the hypothesis must be abandoned and a new theory devised. However, sometimes this is too much to expect from scientists who are also passionate humans. They may continue to cling to an untenable hypothesis, perhaps even after the establishment of another well-supported theory, sometimes even until their own death.
The dark nursery of evolution is very dark indeed.
Brad McFall