Isn’t an unfalsifiable prediction one that, by definition, contains no actionable information? Why should we care?
Not quite. Something can be unfalsifiable by having consequences that matter, but preventing information about those consequences from flowing back to us, or to anyone who could make use of it. For example, suppose I claim to have found a one-way portal to another universe. Or maybe it just annihalates anything put into it, instead. The claim that it’s a portal is unfalsifiable because no one can send information back to indicate whether or not it worked, but if that portal is the only way to escape from something bad, then I care very much whether it works or not.
Some people claim that death is just such a portal. There’re religious versions of this hypothesis, simulationist versions, and quantum immortality versions. Each of these hypotheses would have very important, actionable consequences, but they are all unfalsifiable.
For example, suppose I claim to have found a one-way portal to another universe. Or maybe it just annihilates anything put into it, instead. The claim that it’s a portal is unfalsifiable because no one can send information back to indicate whether or not it worked, but if that portal is the only way to escape from something bad, then I care very much whether it works or not.
Somewhat off topic, but that all instantly made me think of this. I may very well want to know how such a portal would work as well as whether or not it works.
Not quite. Something can be unfalsifiable by having consequences that matter, but preventing information about those consequences from flowing back to us, or to anyone who could make use of it. For example, suppose I claim to have found a one-way portal to another universe. Or maybe it just annihalates anything put into it, instead. The claim that it’s a portal is unfalsifiable because no one can send information back to indicate whether or not it worked, but if that portal is the only way to escape from something bad, then I care very much whether it works or not.
Some people claim that death is just such a portal. There’re religious versions of this hypothesis, simulationist versions, and quantum immortality versions. Each of these hypotheses would have very important, actionable consequences, but they are all unfalsifiable.
Somewhat off topic, but that all instantly made me think of this. I may very well want to know how such a portal would work as well as whether or not it works.
WARNING: Wikipedia has spoilers to the plot
I am parsing this as “contains no actionable information.” That suggests we are in agreement or I parsed this incorrectly.