GEO165 – METEOROLOGY

SPRING 2004

"The" Scientific Method

Updated 08.10.04

Science is not a subject of study but a way of doing business.

Any subject can be science, if the approach follows the scientific method.

There are many ways of conducting a study under the scientific method.

A scientist is a person who uses the scientific method and “thinks” about things “scientifically”.

A scientist is open minded and skeptical and has honed his/her personal skills at thinking critically.

“If you’re open to the point of gullibility and have not a microgram of skeptical

sense, then you cannot distinguish the promising ideas from the worthless ones. Uncritically

accepting every proffered notion, idea and hypothesis is tantamount to knowing nothing.”

Carl Sagan, The Demon Haunted World

In other words be open minded but not so open minded that your brains fall out.

OCCAM’S RAZOR:

WHEN FACED WITH TWO HYPOTHESES THAT EXPLAIN THE DATA EQUALLY WELL,

CHOOSE THE SIMPLER ONE, IT IS MORE LIKELY TO BE CORRECT.

“THE” SCIENTIFIC METHOD

OBSERVE

ORGANIZE OBSERVATIONS

ANALYSE YOUR OBSERVATIONS (DATA)

HYPOTHESIZE

TEST YOUR HYPOTHESIS

MODIFY YOUR HYPOTHESIS

TEST IT AGAIN