The Scientific Method

Those who pursue scientific discipline in order to determine the truth of nature and existence, have developed a rigorous method of hypothesis, experiments, observation, conclusions and theory. But this is just a start, as theory established by rigorous testing, has to be independently verifiable, subject to other rigorous testing and proofs. Science in its purist is objective, free from speculation other than a well grounded hypothesis and not coloured by personal subjective opinion, hearsay or spectral evidences or by monetary influence peddling. The scientific method did not rise fully formed, but was developed over thousands of year to the method we have now for determining true knowledge based on repeatable measurement and observations made from experiments. The point here is not to look into history of its development so much as to look at the method itself and why it is so important.

It refers to a body of techniques used for investigating phenomena for acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge to a greater body of existing knowledge. In order for knowledge to be termed scientific, the method of enquiry must be based on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of logic and reasoning. A scientific method thus consists of the collection of data through observation and experimentation, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.

Although the discipline of the scientific method's procedures varies from field to field of enquiry, clearly identifiable features distinguish it from other methods of obtaining knowledge. Scientific researchers propose hypotheses as explanations of phenomena, and then set out to design experimental studies to test these hypotheses in order to develop a working theory. These steps must be repeatable by any one else who does the experiment under identical and rigorous settings in order to predict future results. Once this is done, a hypothesis evolves to become a theory and in turn a system to describe facts and how they relate to each other. These facts are then codified into laws of physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, mathematics, technology, cosmology or any other branch of scientific investigation. Since the mid 1990's science has even delved into the nature of consciousness, once thought to be the reserve of religion and considered taboo in scientific circles. Theories that encompass wider domains of enquiry, may bind many independently derived hypotheses and theories together into a logical, coherent and supportive structure. Working theories in turn may help form new hypotheses based on earlier findings or place groups of hypotheses into proper context with one another. This is by now, a well practised system of developing objective knowledge and has allowed for the rapid development and evolution in many fields of endeavour. In technology alone, the last two decades of development have been dizzying for most people, but a lot of it is based on solid science, some of which is almost a century old.

It is this scientific method that has taken the ideas of thrust and launched humanity into the air and then outer space. It has taken us into new realms of medicine that at one time were thought impossible. The scientific method has even allowed us to extend our senses by many electronic and technical ways so we can see things that are normally invisible to us. However, with this new found seeing, we have to be careful how we interpret what we see.

Scientific enquiry is intended to be as objective as possible in order to reduce biased interpretations of results as much as possible, despite what politics and economy may force to the contrary. As in any other field, the subjective and all too human factor is often and sometimes intentionally, injected into science. There may be economic interests that wish to skew research favourably in a certain direction despite what facts say otherwise. An example of this is the current divide on the question of global warming. Two clear schools of though have emerged concerning this issue. Though it is clear that the climate is undergoing change, it is doing so in a complex manner and all the detail can confuse people to the whole. Yet, unmistakable evidence of change is in evidence in extended seasons, glacial and polar melting and the like. To some, this interest oriented science discredits the scientific method, but what it really shows, is the influence of human, interest based, corrupting factors. Another basic expectation is to accurately document, archive and share all data and methodology so they are available for careful scrutiny and rigorous testing by other scientists, giving them the opportunity to verify results by attempting to reproduce them. This practice, which is called full disclosure, allows statistical measures of the reliability of these data to be established. Much of science is based on the statistical approach that is used to build a case for a set of ideas contained in a theory. Looking back at the climate change idea, data of all kinds has been accumulated in some cases, for a century and a half and this is telling us about certain cumulative changes.

Lately science has fallen under much in the way from religious quarters, such as over the theory of evolution and questions of geological dating. Even the question of astronomical distances has been questioned. But, with good science, old ideas and theories can be vindicated by repeating the experiments. There are those who would like to use science as a method of obscurantism to baffle the ignorant. Knowledge is already classified to several levels, with the most advanced being top secret and the least being common place understanding. For reasons of politics and control, some science has fused with religion and has produced a hybrid of mystically oriented science. Real science is built on the scientific method where experiments and observations are carefully recorded so that they can be reproduced and rigorously tested by repeating experiments and observation. This has been going on since the beginning of civilization. It started with the observation and working with the seasons with agriculture and advanced from there to what we now have by way of a body of knowledge assembled through the use of the scientific method.