Physics Discovery: 99.99995% Confidence Level and Quantum Mechanics

[Rade]

At the reference link below is this statement--
Physicists have agreed that claims of a discovery must have a confidence level of 99.99995 percent, indicating a 99.99995 percent chance that the result can be reproduced.
Is this view held, and in what publication was this 'agreed to' ? And, does theory of Quantum Mechanics meet this criterion--that is, have experimental attempts to falsify QM (say, loophole experiments) reached a CL of 99.99995 percent ? Just asking, not trying to cause heartburn.

Reference Link: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-03/dnal-wht032306.php

 

[vanesch]

Is this view held, and in what publication was this 'agreed to' ? And, does theory of Quantum Mechanics meet this criterion--that is, have experimental attempts to falsify QM (say, loophole experiments) reached a CL of 99.99995 percent ? Just asking, not trying to cause heartburn.

This probably (didn't check) comes down to the "5 sigma" requirement before something can be called a result.
If a measurement is performed with known *statistical* errors, it's kind of a convention that a hypothesis is rejected when it is 5 or more sigma away from it. But this only talks about the statistical error (mostly due to counting statistics). It doesn't say anything about other potential sources of error.

 

[sir-pinski]

The view that claims of discovery must have a confidence level of 99.99995 percent is not universally held among all physicists. It is a commonly accepted standard in the scientific community, but there may be some variation in the exact percentage depending on the specific field of study and the level of certainty required for a particular discovery. Additionally, the specific publication where this agreement was made may vary, as it is likely a widely accepted standard rather than a specific statement made in one publication.

As for the theory of Quantum Mechanics, it is a well-established and extensively studied theory with a high level of confidence among physicists. However, it is important to note that no scientific theory can ever be proven with absolute certainty. Therefore, it is possible that there may be some experimental attempts to falsify QM that have not yet reached a 99.99995 percent confidence level. However, the overwhelming amount of evidence and successful predictions of QM make it highly unlikely that any significant loopholes or flaws will be found in the theory.