The steps in the method (Figure 1.1) are the following:
1. Observe some aspect of the Universe.
2. Invent a tentative description, called a hypothesis, which is consistent with what you
have observed. This might range from a fine tuning of existing ideas to a complete
revamping of accepted knowledge (sometimes called a ‘‘paradigm shift’’).
3. Use the hypothesis to make predictions.5
4. Testthosepredictionsbyexperimentsorfurtherobservations,andmodifythehypoth-
esis in the light of these results.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies between theory and experiment
and/or observation. Once this type of consistency is achieved the hypothesis is validated and accepted as a new theory.
This method has several very attractive features:
It is unprejudiced in the sense that the data from experiments and/or observations is the sole arbiter of whether a hypothesis or theory survives.
It does not require superhuman powers. Any person with the patience and money to perform the experiments can test the reliability of a theory.
There is a common misconception that the scientific method is the ‘‘method of science,’’ that is, the way science is done, as opposed to why we believe scientific results. Many of you may recall your elementary school science fair projects, where you were told to follow the ‘‘scientific method,’’ defined as the process by which hypotheses are verified. Perhaps in the course of your project, you
The steps in the method (Figure 1.1) are the following:1. Observe some aspect of the Universe.2. Invent a tentative description, called a hypothesis, which is consistent with what youhave observed. This might range from a fine tuning of existing ideas to a completerevamping of accepted knowledge (sometimes called a ‘‘paradigm shift’’).3. Use the hypothesis to make predictions.54. Testthosepredictionsbyexperimentsorfurtherobservations,andmodifythehypoth-esis in the light of these results.5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies between theory and experimentand/or observation. Once this type of consistency is achieved the hypothesis is validated and accepted as a new theory.This method has several very attractive features: It is unprejudiced in the sense that the data from experiments and/or observations is the sole arbiter of whether a hypothesis or theory survives. It does not require superhuman powers. Any person with the patience and money to perform the experiments can test the reliability of a theory.There is a common misconception that the scientific method is the ‘‘method of science,’’ that is, the way science is done, as opposed to why we believe scientific results. Many of you may recall your elementary school science fair projects, where you were told to follow the ‘‘scientific method,’’ defined as the process by which hypotheses are verified. Perhaps in the course of your project, you
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