Final answer:
A theory or hypothesis is falsifiable if it is precise enough to be shown to be false through experiments or observations. This characteristic is critical for scientific validity and distinguishes scientific claims from those that cannot be empirically tested.
Step-by-step explanation:
A theory or hypothesis is falsifiable if it is precise enough that it could be proven false. Falsifiability is a key characteristic of scientific hypotheses, ensuring that claims can be tested through experiment or observation and potentially be shown to be incorrect. This is foundational in the scientific method, differentiating science from pseudoscience, which often makes claims that cannot be tested or falsified. Importantly, a hypothesis that is unfalsifiable is not scientifically valid, because there is no way to test it and potentially refute it. Therefore, hypotheses must propose explanations that can be empirically examined, with results that either support or contradict them. The ongoing process of testing and refining hypotheses is essential in science, and even widely accepted explanations are subject to reevaluation when new evidence arises.