The Science Quiz | Today is the 30th death anniversary of Karl Popper

Questions:

1. Karl Popper is best known for an influential philosophy of science he developed in the 20th century, particularly his concept of __________, which states that scientific theories must by definition be capable of being proven wrong. Fill in the blank.

2. While Popper believed science progresses through the demarcation of science from non-science, which historian of science argued that major changes in science occur when a prevailing scientific framework or a paradigm is overturned and replaced by a new one?

3. Popper attempted to challenge a particular interpretation of quantum mechanics put forth by scientists Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Max Bohr. Popper argued against the idea that particles have definite properties only when they’re measured. What is the interpretation called?

4. In a 1934 book, Popper introduced the idea that scientific theories should be testable and refutable to be considered valid in an influential 1934 book. Name it. It laid the foundation for his philosophy and later influenced the work of several scientists and philosophers.

5. Popper was a critic of __________, the belief that science could determine universal truths just by repeated observation and empirical data. His view made him laud the work of Albert Einstein, which incorporated theoretical innovation alongside empirical testing.

Visual:

Name this German astronomer whose theory of planetary motion helped Popper develop his philosophy of science.

Answers:

1. Falsifiability

2. Thomas Kuhn

3. Copenhagen interpretation

4. The Logic of Scientific Discovery

5. Inductivism

Visual: Johannes Kepler