Scientific method

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, 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/or mathematical derivation.

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 14the century and a near extinction of humanity
   around 70.000 B.C.  

   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 soil near the crater contains significant amounts of chemical compounds common in
     meteorites.
   - The soil 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:

   [http://www.answers.com/topic/hafele-keating-experiment%7CHafele-Keating experiment and later 
   experiments with more accurate clocks]

   GPS and relativity

references: [1] [2] [http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Courses/bio104/sci_meth.htm