Who needs theory? Who needs empiricism?

We judge scientific ideas all the time: sometimes formally, such as when we serve as peer reviewers, but usually informally and perhaps subconsciously: when we read papers and listen to talks, we ask ourselves, “what’s worth taking away from this?”  Therein lies a judgment on the value of the ideas we just encountered.  So, which do you value more: theoretical ideas or empirical ones?  Which should you value more?  This talk introduces a session in which speakers approach these questions head-on.