Difference between revisions of "Scientific method"
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Example: YEC can be disproven through examining DNA which tells the biological history of | Example: YEC can be disproven through examining DNA which tells the biological history of | ||
| − | humanity such as the [[Black Death]] in the | + | humanity such as the [[Black Death]] in the 14th century and a near extinction of humanity |
| − | around 70.000 B.C. <ref> | + | around 70.000 B.C. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/166869.stm]Humans came close to extinction, BBC World News</ref>. |
Alternatively (this is an example of how the scientific method works): | Alternatively (this is an example of how the scientific method works): | ||
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[http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Unit5/gps.html| GPS and relativity] | [http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Unit5/gps.html| GPS and relativity] | ||
| + | ==References== | ||
| + | <references/> | ||
| − | + | [http://teacher.pas.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.html] | |
[http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node6.html] | [http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node6.html] | ||
[http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Courses/bio104/sci_meth.htm | [http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Courses/bio104/sci_meth.htm | ||
[[category:science]] | [[category:science]] | ||
Revision as of 12:16, April 23, 2007
The Scientific Method is a procedure for the dispassionate inquiry into natural phenomena. It involves the careful collection of data and the development of theories which organize those facts into falsifiable explanations. Thus science is built up as a deliberately fragile structure, like a house of cards, that can collapse if any foundational principles are proven to be false. When theories move away from falsifiability and become dogmatic, such as assigning purely human causes for climate change, or assumptions based on faith alone, then we say they are not scientific.
The four steps of the scientific method[Citation Needed]
1. Careful observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena. (I observe that a heavy steel ship floats on water)
2. Formulation of an hypothesis to explain the phenomena. (I propose that it is the overall density of the ship, rather than its weight that determines if it floats)
3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict the results of new observations. (To see whether my hypothesis holds true, I predict that any object that is less dense than water will float and any object more dense than water will sink; I test various objects that are more or less dense than water by putting them in a tub.)
4. Replication of the experiments and results by independent experimenters. (rather than take my word for it, my neighbors try the same experiment and look for any flaws in my methodology). Mathematical derivations are also commonly used to support a theory and predict results, but only an experiment can provide conclusive evidence (relativity, for example, could not have been predicted by math alone).
Scientific treatment of theories and facts
1) If a theory has no proof it remains an abstract concept, that will not be thought in schools.
Example: String theory in physics has not yet been proven.
2) If a theory can never be proven or disproven it is not considered to be scientific and science will not study it.
Example: the existence of God(s) can never be proven or disproven by scientific experiments, and the concept cannot be captured by mathematics.
3) If a theory can never be proven but it CAN be disproven by at least one repeatable scientific experiment the theory will be considered to be false.
Example: YEC can be disproven through examining DNA which tells the biological history of humanity such as the Black Death in the 14th century and a near extinction of humanity around 70.000 B.C. [1].
Alternatively (this is an example of how the scientific method works):
- From recent impacts (Siberia, 1908) and space probes we know meteorites and asteroids often
have a chemical composition which is rare on Earth.
- A large crater has been found on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
- The Rocky underground near the crater contains significant amounts of chemical compounds common
in meteorites, but rare on Earth, especially in such concentrations.
- The Rocky underground near the crater shows signs of a tremendous energy release: natural
glass, etc...
- We can calculate the energy that would be required to create a crater that size.
- An impact of this scale has been found to be many times greater than that of a nuclear
explosion.
- We know an event like this would cause a mass extinction of which nature would need many
thousands of years to recover.
- We know the ecosystems of Earth are well balanced and prosperous (before the industrial
revolution anyway).
- Therefore we know Earth has recovered from the meteorite impact.
- Therefore we know the impact happened many thousands of years ago.
- Therefore we know the Earth has to be many thousands of years old.
4) If a theory can be proven by at least one repeatable scientific experiment it will be considered a scientific fact.
Example 1: The Earth is round because that shape is consistent with the laws of gravitation and the Earth's curvature can clearly be seen from high altitudes or space.
Example 2: Relativity has been verified in at least two different ways:
Hafele-Keating experiment and later experiments with more accurate clocks
GPS and relativity
==References==
[2] [3] [http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Courses/bio104/sci_meth.htm