---
title: "Popper and the Risky Test"
date: 2026-04-20
topics: [philosophy, epistemology]
related: []
abstract: >
  A good test is a risky prediction — one the product could plausibly fail. Low-risk tests that pass because there is nothing interesting they could catch are the testing equivalent of unfalsifiable theories, and Popper's demarcation criterion gives us the vocabulary to say so.
---

Popper and the Risky Test. You've covered modus tollens but stopped short of the inevitable: Popper's demarcation criterion[^1]. A good test is a risky prediction — one the product could plausibly fail. Low-risk tests (tests that pass because there's nothing interesting they could catch) are the testing equivalent of unfalsifiable theories: they look like science but aren't. This would give you a rigorous vocabulary for the intuition behind "my regression suite is green but I don't feel confident."

[^1]: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/popper/