es ▁theorem ▁versus ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁function , ▁or ▁posit iv ism ▁versus ▁critical ▁rational ism . ▁These ▁methods ▁of ▁reason ▁have ▁direct ▁bearing ▁on ▁statistical ▁proof ▁and ▁its ▁interpret ations ▁in ▁the ▁bro ader ▁philosophy ▁of ▁science . ▁ ▁A ▁common ▁dem arc ation ▁between ▁science ▁and ▁non - s cience ▁is ▁the ▁hypoth et ico - ded uct ive ▁proof ▁of ▁f als ification ▁developed ▁by ▁Karl ▁Po pper , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁well - est ab lished ▁practice ▁in ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁statistics . ▁Other ▁modes ▁of ▁inference , ▁however , ▁may ▁include ▁the ▁induct ive ▁and ▁ab duct ive ▁modes ▁of ▁proof . ▁Scient ists ▁do ▁not ▁use ▁statistical ▁proof ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁att ain ▁certain ty , ▁but ▁to ▁f als ify ▁claims ▁and ▁explain ▁theory . ▁Science ▁cannot ▁achieve ▁absolute ▁certain ty ▁nor ▁is ▁it ▁a ▁continuous ▁march ▁toward ▁an ▁objective ▁truth ▁as ▁the ▁vern ac ular ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁scientific ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" proof " ▁might ▁imply . ▁Statist ical ▁proof ▁offers ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁proof ▁of ▁a ▁theory ' s ▁f als ity ▁and ▁the ▁means ▁to ▁learn ▁he ur ist ically ▁through ▁repeated ▁statistical ▁tri als ▁and ▁experimental ▁error . ▁Statist ical ▁proof ▁also ▁has ▁applications ▁in ▁legal ▁matters ▁with ▁imp lications ▁for ▁the ▁legal ▁bur den ▁of ▁proof . ▁ ▁A xi oms ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁kinds ▁of ▁ax i oms , ▁ 1 ) ▁convent ions ▁that ▁are ▁taken ▁as ▁true ▁that ▁should ▁be ▁avoided ▁because ▁they