In his July–August 2007 editorial of , Steven Shugan argues that the realism of assumptions does not matter as long as …. This commentary discusses the problems of his argument and presents a very different view about the realism of assumptions … faulty explanations and false predictions. Contrary to Shugan's view, the realism of an assumption cannot be assessed just …

the most divergent views. First, while Shugan uses the terms “realistic” and “realism” in several different meanings, I … define the realism of an assumption as the extent to which it corresponds with the real world. Second, Shugan makes a strong …