RE: Is saying "...so I know how science works." likely to convince people?
January 31, 2019 at 8:58 pm
It isn't a matter of having the personal ability to be able to be a neurosurgeon or nuclear scientist. I cant do a fraction to save my life.
But, just like one can have the basics of knowing how to drive a car, without having to melt metal to build a engine block, or frame, one can understand the principle of how a combustion engine works. The spark plugs ignite the gas, which expands, which forces the pistons to move, in turn, turn the crank shaft, which turns the axles then the wheels.
Scientists are humans. Scientific fields are what those humans study. But scientific method itself is a very simple principle(tool) that all scientists use.
The principle(TOOL) is very simple to understand. Just like driving a car doesn't mean you need to know how to build one from scratch.
1. Collect data on prior established methods.
2. Plug data into established formula with a large sample rate and control group.
3. Observe data.
4. Repeat experiment multiple times to see if the outcomes produce consistent results.
5. If they do, you are onto something, if they don't, then check for a flaw in your data, model, formula, methodology.
6. If you are finding consistent outcomes then you turn that over to peers within your field and let them try to replicate the same tests the same way you did.
7. If they come up with the same findings, then you are onto something. If they do not, then you start over.
^^^^^^^^^
Scientific method is a principle, not a field. It really is no different following steps, just like driving a car. You obey the traffic laws, and if you get pulled over by police(peer review) that means you didn't get something right.
But, just like one can have the basics of knowing how to drive a car, without having to melt metal to build a engine block, or frame, one can understand the principle of how a combustion engine works. The spark plugs ignite the gas, which expands, which forces the pistons to move, in turn, turn the crank shaft, which turns the axles then the wheels.
Scientists are humans. Scientific fields are what those humans study. But scientific method itself is a very simple principle(tool) that all scientists use.
The principle(TOOL) is very simple to understand. Just like driving a car doesn't mean you need to know how to build one from scratch.
1. Collect data on prior established methods.
2. Plug data into established formula with a large sample rate and control group.
3. Observe data.
4. Repeat experiment multiple times to see if the outcomes produce consistent results.
5. If they do, you are onto something, if they don't, then check for a flaw in your data, model, formula, methodology.
6. If you are finding consistent outcomes then you turn that over to peers within your field and let them try to replicate the same tests the same way you did.
7. If they come up with the same findings, then you are onto something. If they do not, then you start over.
^^^^^^^^^
Scientific method is a principle, not a field. It really is no different following steps, just like driving a car. You obey the traffic laws, and if you get pulled over by police(peer review) that means you didn't get something right.
