Editing Ad hoc hypothesis (section)

==In the scientific community==
Scientists are often [[Scientific skepticism|skeptical]] of theories that rely on frequent, unsupported adjustments to sustain them. This is because, if a theorist so chooses, there is no limit to the number of ''ad hoc'' hypotheses that they could add. Thus the theory becomes more and more complex, but is never falsified. This is often at a cost to the theory's [[predictive power]], however.<ref name="Stanovich2007"/> ''Ad hoc'' hypotheses are often characteristic of [[pseudoscientific]] subjects.<ref>Carroll, Robert T. "Ad hoc hypothesis." ''The Skeptic's Dictionary''. 22 Jun. 2008 <http://skepdic.com/adhoc.html>.</ref>{{bettersource|date=November 2021}}

[[Albert Einstein]]'s addition of the [[cosmological constant]] to [[general relativity]] in order to allow a [[static universe]] was ''ad hoc''. Although he later referred to it as his "greatest blunder", it may correspond to theories of [[dark energy]].<ref>Texas A&M University. "Einstein's Biggest Blunder? Dark Energy May Be Consistent With Cosmological Constant." ''ScienceDaily'' 28 November 2007. 22 June 2008 <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127142128.htm>.</ref>