em ology , ▁which ▁emphas izes ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁natural ▁selection ▁in ▁two ▁primary ▁roles . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁role , ▁selection ▁is ▁the ▁generator ▁and ▁maintain er ▁of ▁the ▁reli ability ▁of ▁our ▁sens es ▁and ▁cogn itive ▁mechan isms , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁" fit " ▁between ▁those ▁mechan isms ▁and ▁the ▁world . ▁In ▁the ▁second ▁role , ▁trial ▁and ▁error ▁learning ▁and ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁scientific ▁theories ▁are ▁constru ed ▁as ▁selection ▁processes . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁hall marks ▁of ▁evolution ary ▁ep ist em ology ▁is ▁the ▁notion ▁that ▁empir ical ▁testing ▁alone ▁does ▁not ▁justify ▁the ▁p rag m atic ▁value ▁of ▁scientific ▁theories ▁but ▁rather ▁that ▁social ▁and ▁method ological ▁processes ▁select ▁those ▁theories ▁with ▁the ▁closest ▁" fit " ▁to ▁a ▁given ▁problem . ▁The ▁mere ▁fact ▁that ▁a ▁theory ▁has ▁surv ived ▁the ▁most ▁rig orous ▁empir ical ▁tests ▁available ▁does ▁not , ▁in ▁the ▁calculus ▁of ▁probability , ▁predict ▁its ▁ability ▁to ▁surv ive ▁future ▁testing . ▁Karl ▁Po pper ▁used ▁Newton ian ▁physics ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁body ▁of ▁theories ▁so ▁thoroughly ▁confirmed ▁by ▁testing ▁as ▁to ▁be ▁considered ▁un ass ailable ▁but ▁were ▁never theless ▁over turn ed ▁by ▁Albert ▁Ein stein ' s ▁bold ▁ins ights ▁into ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁space - time . ▁For ▁the ▁evolution ary ▁ep ist em ologist , ▁all ▁theories ▁are ▁true ▁only ▁provision ally , ▁regardless ▁of ▁the ▁degree ▁of ▁empir ical ▁testing ▁they ▁have ▁surv ived . ▁ ▁Po pper