[vi_sextus_vi]

Exactly. The lede buried here is, as you say,

  accurate prediction is not better understanding

Which has a statistician counterintuition

  Less "accurate" model can lead to better prediction

Therefore (in my understanding)

  A better understanding encodes more info about how much more it can be improved, when compared to a less good understanding

Maybe understanding should be related to wisdom rather than intelligence? Like Socrates. AGW?

Explained by this wonderful series

[simonh]

I like the point about improvement. For a long time the geocentric cycle and epicycle models of the solar system generated more accurate predictions in most cases than heliocentric ones. Yet anomalies in planetary motion could never have lead to the discoveries of the outer planets using that approach.

[sifar]

Can you please elaborate on the series ? I didn't get the reference.

[vi_sextus_vi]

Sorry was in a bit of brain fog

https://youtu.be/_Zxr9STGwbQ?t=3m39s

There's an upcoming book, mentioned in the blurb