[jonnathanson]

While I grok your logic here, following it through leads to a very impractical approach to science. What is one supposed to do with an existing theory that one knows to be flawed? Simply let it stand, until he can conduct a new and fully tested theory to replace it? What about all the intermediate steps?

Poking holes in existing theories is a legitimate part of scientific inquiry and progress. The whole point of science is to gain knowledge by questioning the way things work. Ideally you do that by proposing new hypotheses, and constantly testing them out. But you can also do it by challenging or critiquing existing theories. This is sometimes a necessary first step before anyone even thinks to propose new theories to replace the old ones.

"It's only by finding actual evidence in support of a theory that you can make any sort of progress."

By that logic, a great deal of theoretical physics right now is worthless. Fields like that often start with peculiar observations, around which theories are proposed, then computationally analyzed or simulated. No "actual evidence" has been found to support a lot of these theories, though that hasn't stopped people from trying. (Nor should it). In many of these cases, the technology necessary to find the actual evidence does not yet exist, or is prohibitively expensive, or is in world-limited supply.

[Retric]

Do you honestly think string theory was useful for something? As to experiments I am not suggesting they are the only form of evidence. Finding a new fossil can easily count as evidence in support of a different theory.

Still, coming up with a new theory and suggesting an experiment is IMO far more useful than simply another theory. The point is to avoid doing this: The real name of god is A, no it's AA, no it's AAA...

I might not be explaning this all that well. There is a somewhat recent theory that a lot of exising dinosaur species where not distinct. Rather there bone structures change as they age. In many ways you could argue this is just evaluating evidence differently. However, rather than simply standing alone it suggested examining a range of existing fossils in ways that also supported this theory. Which was then done. The important bit IMO was not stopping at the theory stage.