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Policy

Scientific Advancement

February 7, 2011 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 89, Issue 10

James W. Flesher offers the hyper-Popperian pronouncement that “Science advances only by disproving some empty hypothesis or theory” (C&EN, Jan. 17, page 6). I can just imagine a research leader encouraging his staff: “We haven’t made enough progress lately. I want each of you to come up with five empty hypotheses by next week, so we can disprove them!”

Jay A. Labinger
Claremont, Calif.

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