Popper's definition of science says that, to be scientific, a theory must be:

logical.
verifiable.
testable.
true.


When one listens to the news about the stock market, one finds that some people can always explain why the market moved up or down during the previous day. If the market moved up, there is always some bit of good news that can be cited as the cause, while when the market declines, there is always some bad news that can be cited as the cause. The ability of some to explain all moves in the stock market:

shows that some people have an impressive understanding of how the market works.
is an example of a nonscientific explanation.
exists only because the government properly regulates the market.
illustrates a normative view of the stock market.


 Back to Reading Overview Next Page