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'''Falsifiability''' is a [[deductive]] standard of evaluation of scientific theories and hypotheses, introduced by the [[Philosophy of science|philosopher of science]] [[Karl Popper]] in his book ''[[The Logic of Scientific Discovery]]'' (1934).{{refn|group=upper-alpha| name=faithfultranslationofLoSD}} A [[Scientific theory|theory]] or [[hypothesis]] is '''falsifiable''' (or '''refutable''') if it can be ''logically'' contradicted by an [[empirical test]].
Popper emphasized the asymmetry created by the relation of a universal law with basic observation statements{{refn|group=upper-alpha|name="basicstatementsbreakthesymmetry"|The falsifiability criterion is formulated in terms of basic statements or observation statements without requiring that we know which ones of these observation statements correspond to actual facts. These basic statements break the symmetry, while being purely logical concepts.}} and contrasted falsifiability to the intuitively similar concept of [[Verifiability (science)|verifiability]] that was then current in [[logical positivism]]. He argues that the only way to verify a claim such as "All swans are white" would be if one could theoretically observe all swans,{{refn|group=upper-alpha|name="blackswanimpossible"}} which is not possible. Instead, falsifiability requirement for an anomalous instance, such as the observation of a single black swan, is theoretically reasonable and sufficient to logically falsify the claim.
Popper proposed falsifiability as the cornerstone solution to both the [[problem of induction]] and the [[demarcation problem|problem of demarcation]]. He insisted that, as a logical criterion, his falsifiability is distinct from the related concept "capacity to be proven wrong" discussed in [[#Falsificationism|Lakatos's falsificationism]].{{refn|group=upper-alpha|name=cleardistinctioncomplete}}{{refn|group=upper-alpha|name="twomeanings"}}{{refn|group="upper-alpha"|name="somecontradiction"}} Even being a logical criterion, its purpose is to make the theory [[predictive power|predictive]] and [[Testability|testable]], and thus useful in practice.
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