objects/traditional-scientific-met.html
1. Steps in traditional science
learn about a system
make a hypothesis (that is testable)
perform controlled experiments or observations that will be able to disprove the hypothesis
modify the hypothesis based on results
repeat - getting either finer detail or more general
2. The scientific method works in a community
learn about the system from the literature
devote effort to improving the community's understanding of the system
- build on what others have done
- trust(1) what others have done
- need mechanisms for brokering trust
- collaboration with known colleagues
- anonymous - reviewers that have expertise
- reputations
the trust allows different members of this community to simultaneously explore different avenues
3. Hypothesis statement and testing is key to effective science
Strong Inference (2)
link to references/notes/platt-1964.html
Multiple hypotheses - testing between hypotheses
1) Devising alternative hypotheses; not just a simple, throw away null hypothesis
2) Devising a crucial experiement (or several of them), with alternative possible outcomes, each of which will, as nearly as possible, exclude one or more of the hypotheses;
3) Carrying out the experiment so as to get a clean result;
1') Recycling the procedure, making subhypotheses or sequential hypotheses to refine the possibilities that remain, and so on.
(1) Fukuyama, Francis 1995. Trust: the social virtues and the creation of prosperity. The Free Press, New York. HB72 .F85 1995
(2) Platt, J. R. (1964). "Strong Inference: Certain systematic methods
of scientific thinking may produce much more rapid progress than others."
Science 146(3642): 347-353.