Psychics vs. scientists re: making predictions

Moderator note: Posts moved here from here:https://psiencequest.net/forums/thread-more-people-turning-to-psychics-for-guidance-during-pandemic

I wonder if any psychics predicted this? Probably not, but scientists have predicted this pandemic for years

https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/18-specta...is-year-3/

https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/18-specta...is-year-3/

Your point is?

A late psychic once wrote that a severe pneumonia-like pandemic would happen in 2020. 

One hit can be a lucky guess.  Has she been successful otherwise, and by what criteria should we measure success?  I agree with Steve001 in this case - science is far more successful at making reliable predictions.

Your point is?

Scientists predict a lot of things.  Predictions aren't worth much, but you already knew that.

Scientists predict a lot of things.  Predictions aren't worth much, but you already knew that.

That's true, but there is an obvious difference. That difference being scientists make precise predictions.

[Ninshub]

One hit can be a lucky guess.  Has she been successful otherwise, and by what criteria should we measure success?  I agree with Steve001 in this case - science is far more successful at making reliable predictions.

Brian, how did you interpret the smilie I put at the end of that sentence?

That's true, but there is an obvious difference. That difference being scientists make precise predictions.

I guess that depends upon the context. Certainly one of the characteristics of a scientific theory is its ability to generate predicted results, which can be tested and shown to be correct or not by making actual measurements. That is a scientific theory.

But a scientist - that refers to a human being, and whether or not a human being can make a precise prediction or not, would depend upon what the topic was, and the surrounding circumstances.

I guess that depends upon the context. Certainly one of the characteristics of a scientific theory is its ability to generate predicted results, which can be tested and shown to be correct or not by making actual measurements. That is a scientific theory.

But a scientist - that refers to a human being, and whether or not a human being can make a precise prediction or not, would depend upon what the topic was, and the surrounding circumstances.

To clarify; Ninshub was making a false equivalency between psychics and scientists, (excluding scientific theory which is an entirely different ball of wax). In other words the predictions made by those in the link he or she provided were not scientific theories per se. They are instead precise predictions vs. imprecise predictions typical of psychics.

[Ninshub]

Steve (you may have noticed I've moved this discussion because it belongs here instead), what post are you referring to where I made such a false equivalency?