Question

Which one of the given options reflects Karl Popper’s falsification principle?

• A. Any theory is scientific only if it allows empirical facts to disprove it
• B. Manipulation of observational data will help the researchers to give new results
• C. Scientists should not report false data
• D. Lab-based scientific experiments cannot be falsified

Hint:

According to Popper, a theory must be falsifiable to be scientific; it must be possible to test and potentially disprove it with evidence.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding Karl Popper’s Falsification Principle.
Karl Popper proposed the idea of falsifiability as the criterion for determining whether a theory is scientific. A theory is scientific if it can be tested and potentially disproven by empirical evidence.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.
- (A) Correct, Popper’s falsification principle asserts that a theory is scientific only if it allows for empirical facts to disprove it.
- (B) Incorrect, this option talks about data manipulation, which is unrelated to Popper’s principle.
- (C) Incorrect, while scientists should not report false data, this is a general principle of research ethics, not Popper’s falsification principle.
- (D) Incorrect, Popper’s principle asserts that scientific theories must be falsifiable, meaning that lab-based experiments can be falsified if they contradict the theory.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the correct answer is (A) Any theory is scientific only if it allows empirical facts to disprove it.