About this episode

The episode explores the contrasting views of Kuhn and Popper regarding the adoption of quantum theory in science.

Comparing Kuhn and Popper on Quantum Theory: Here we go deeper into the differences between Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn's account of how science moves from one theory to another. David applies the theory set out in part 1 of this chapter to the specific case of quantum theory. Did social forces have a major impact on whether quantum theory was adopted as Kuhn would have it, or were rational factors like argument and experiment crucial in dictating how science broadly, physics and the community of physicists took on a new "counter-cultural" idea?

Keywords

• David Deutsch
• The Fabric of Reality
• science theory
• social forces
• rational factors

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