Newton's Flaming Laser Sword
Alder's Razor
Philosophical razor asserting that what cannot be settled by experiment is not worth debating — a stricter position than Occam's Razor, reflecting the view that disputes without observable consequences fall outside meaningful discourse.
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Origin
Australian mathematician Mike Alder introduced this principle in his essay "Newton's Flaming Laser Sword", published in the May/June 2004 issue of Philosophy Now. Also known as Alder's razor, it is humorously named after Isaac Newton and called a "flaming laser sword" because it is "much sharper and more dangerous than Occam's Razor."
Updated February 22, 2026