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The Dark Matter Double Bind: Astrophysical Aspects of the Evidential Warrant for General Relativity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

William L. Vanderburgh
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Abstract

The dark matter problem in astrophysics exposes an underappreciated weakness in the evidential warrant for General Relativity (GR). The “dark matter double bind” entails that GR gets no differential evidential support from dynamical phenomena occurring at scales larger than our solar system, as compared to members of a significant class of rival gravitation theories. These rivals are each empirically indistinguishable from GR for phenomena taking place at solar system scales, but make predictions that may differ radically from GR's at larger scales. Thus the typical confidence in the universal applicability of GR is insufficiently warranted in the present evidential context.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 70 , Issue 4 , October 2003 , pp. 812 - 832
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

I am very grateful to the following people for helpful comments on earlier versions of this paper: Virginia Trimble, Chris Smeenk, Kathleen Okruhlik, Bill Harper, Andrew Wayne, Bob Feleppa, and David Soles.

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