Hypothesis: All scientific theories ever proposed--or yet to be proposed--have been, or will eventually be, proved to be incorrect.

Method: Examine a list of all scientific theories ever proposed (quickly, roughly, in your head), and determine (take a guess at) whether or not the (large) majority have been disproved, or not.

Results: Hmmmm....yep.

It is unprovable that all the theories out there today will be proved incorrect at some point in the future, and so this isn't a valid scientific theory. It is equally unprovable that any given theory will not be proved incorrect. However, I have the weight of history on my side--how many theories have lasted for any significant length of time? How many scientific theories from, say, before the turn of the century (the 20th century, that is) are still unconditionally accepted as true?

Conclusion: Though this method is based on faulty philosophical grounds, it DOES suggest that I can sorta conclude that all scientific theories--including those yet to be proposed--will eventually be proven false! (except, of course, for this one...) There's no point going out of my way to find a better, more scientifically sound way of proving this, 'cause I mean, I've just proved that it'd eventually be discredited anyway. Sort of.

You are correct to a certain extent, but your use of the phrase "unconditionally accepted as true" is ill-advised.

One pre-20th Century theory that is still considered legitimate (with good reason) is that of biological evolution. It remains the one major theory around for the presence of life-forms that are the least bit adapted. Nevertheless, from its initial publication to this very day, there have always been those who consider it a vessel of pig feces.

All theories that have been "proven" will at some point be "disproven," whether it be by a mainstream scientist, a caller on the Art Bell show, or some poor sap in his basement, polishing his gun, counting his cans of food, and waiting for Our Lord God to come down and zap all the public school teachers.

On the other end of the spectrum are the people who still believe that the Earth is flat.

And there are battles going on every day on a smaller scale, debating (nice word for "disproving back and forth") the smallest details of our universe. There are some who disagree, mostly ornithologists, with the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs.

I hate to ramble, but I suppose what I'm saying is that your theory, that all theories will be proven false eventually, is so broad that it loses its point. No theory can avoid being disproven at some time or another without brainwashing the entire populace.

Wait a minute, my clumsy attempts at disproving your theory actually show your theory to be correct. Shit. I guess you're right.

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