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theory and hypothesis
Scientists must be able to take such published data and repeat the experiment. This not only confirms the validity of the original hypothesis, but advances it to the level of a “[[theory]]”, which in science means an interpretation or explanation that is well-supported by evidence which is testable and tested. A theory can also be falsified by evidence as well. The level of a “fact” or “law” is simply that which is empirical, and cannot be proven wrong.
Scientists must be able to take such published data and repeat the experiment. This not only confirms the validity of the original hypothesis, but advances it to the level of a “[[theory]]”, which in science means an interpretation or explanation that is well-supported by evidence which is testable and tested. A theory can also be falsified by evidence as well. The level of a “fact” or “law” is simply that which is empirical, and cannot be proven wrong.
:A scientific theory summarizes a hypothesis or group of hypotheses that have been supported with repeated testing. A theory is valid as long as there is no evidence to dispute it. Therefore, theories can be disproven. Basically, if evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, then the hypothesis can become accepted as a good explanation of a phenomenon. One definition of a theory is to say it's an accepted hypothesis. [http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistry101/a/lawtheory.htm]
A classic example of the Scientific Method being used stemmed from a simple bet. In 1872 a [[railway|railroad]] baron named [[Leland Stanford]] made a wager that a [[horse|horse’s]] hooves do not touch the ground at some point in a [[gallop]]. To test the hypothesis, photographer [[Eadweard Muybridge]] [http://americanhistory.si.edu/muybridge/index.htm] was hired; he installed a series of trip wires which were rigged from a long wall about two inches from the ground, each one tied to a [[camera|camera’s]] shutter facing the wall; the experiment called for the horse to run past the wall, tripping the wires and getting a photo at each point. The results were factual and conclusive: a horse at a running gallop does have all four hooves off the ground at some point.
A classic example of the Scientific Method being used stemmed from a simple bet. In 1872 a [[railway|railroad]] baron named [[Leland Stanford]] made a wager that a [[horse|horse’s]] hooves do not touch the ground at some point in a [[gallop]]. To test the hypothesis, photographer [[Eadweard Muybridge]] [http://americanhistory.si.edu/muybridge/index.htm] was hired; he installed a series of trip wires which were rigged from a long wall about two inches from the ground, each one tied to a [[camera|camera’s]] shutter facing the wall; the experiment called for the horse to run past the wall, tripping the wires and getting a photo at each point. The results were factual and conclusive: a horse at a running gallop does have all four hooves off the ground at some point.