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Currently Playing: Does Science Describe Reality or Just Make Predictions?

There is a debate about the very nature of science and its ability to describe reality. For example, Quantum Physics gives us mathematical models which make incredibly accurate statistical predictions, but fail to explain what is actually happening. There are many different philosophical interpretations of Quantum Mechanics, with radically different descriptions of the world. But, many of these interpretations give identical statistical predictions for all possible observable data. If multiple theories make all the same observable predictions, then how do we decide which theory is the more accurate description of the world as it really is? Some people argue that asking whether or not a theory gives an accurate description of reality is not even a scientific question. They argue that the only question science can answer is whether or not a theory makes accurate predictions, since this is the only criteria of the scientific method. From this point of view, the only goal of science is to make more and more precise predictions, and not to describe the world as it really is. This is contrary to the views of many scientists throughout history, who believed that they were, in fact, providing an accurate description of the world as it really is, and this is the entire reason they became interested in science in the first place. They might respond by asking, if science is not about describing the world as it really is, then what discipline do they need to sign up for in order to try to answer this question? After all, this is what they thought "science" is supposed to do. Much more information is available in the video titled "Quantum Physics – List of philosophical Interpretations." https://youtu.be/XQ25E9gu4qI