Re: Refutations and the Middle J (was Re: Another Alxasaurus query & others)

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/9/99 7:13:39 PM EST, th81@umail.umd.edu writes:

<< Point C-G, "refute" is typically used in the scientific circles in which I
 am familiar (functional morphology, sed/strat, systematics, evolutionary
 biology, etc.) as the antonym of "support" (and thus a synonym of "reject").
 New evidence comes around and may either support a previous hypothesis,
 refute/reject it, or be equivocal. >>

"Refute" is by no means an antonym of "support," despite above-mentioned
popular usage. Just because there is no support available for a hypothesis
does not mean that the hypothesis is thereby refuted. Refutation removes a
hypothesis from competition; mere lack of support does not.