webmaster wrote:Jovaro wrote:Observed facts but the relevance is very questionable I would think. Let alone the conclusion that evolution is not possible because of these facts.
The basic steps involved in the scientific method.
1)
Make observations (collect facts and data). All science must begin with observation. Science is only concerned with objects or events that are observable, either directly or indirectly.
2)
Create a hypothesis to explain the observations. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation to account for the observations made. The hypothesis unifies the data into a generalization from which predictions can be made. Truly scientific hypotheses must be testable; thus are erroneous hypotheses able to be falsified.
3)
Deduce the implications of the hypothesis. Implications are predicted based on the hypothesis. The hypothesis might be thought of as the first part of an "if ... then" statement; the "then" predicting the result of the hypothesis. It is these implications that are then verified or rejected by testing through further observation.
4)
Test the implications. Further observation and experimentation is made to collect data, which are compared with the predicted implications to determine if the data confirm or deny the hypothesis. It is very important that all data be considered, not just those that support the hypothesis. Also bear in mind that even if the data support the hypothesis, the hypothesis is not necessarily proven to be true. It simply renders the premise that much more plausible. The ultimate test of the validity of a scientific hypothesis is its consistency with the totality of other aspects of the scientific framework.
5)
Re-evaluate the hypothesis. Was the hypothesis confirmed or denied by the further observation or experimentation? If it was denied, then a new hypothesis must be formed to encompass the new data (back to step 2 above). A hypothesis is valid only so far as it is consistent with the data accumulated. A good hypothesis is also consistent with the greater corpus of scientific knowledge; if it is not then it is incumbent upon the one proposing the hypothesis to reconcile the contradictions before it can be considered to be true. If the evidence in favor of a particular hypothesis is convincing, then the hypothesis is elevated to a theory A theory is a formalized set of concepts that organizes observations and predicts and explains phenomena. A theory is the fruit of much research and it demands a solid empirical base of evidence.
6)
Subject the hypothesis to peer review. A valid hypothesis will withstand outside scrutiny by other researchers in the field. Making the hypothesis available for constructive criticism is a necessary step in the formulation of valid theories. It allows others to repeat steps 3 and 4 above, thus providing a wider base of knowledge to verify the hypothesis. If any criticism cannot be effectively refuted, then the hypothesis must then be reformed (again, back to step 2 above). Scientists, like other human beings, may individually be swayed by some prevailing worldview to favor certain results over others, or to "intuit" some broad theory that they then seek to prove. The scientific community as a whole, however, judges the work of its members by the objectivity and rigor with which that work has been conducted; in this way the scientific method prevails.