1. The
Scientific
Method

2. The Scientific Method
• “Science is best defined as a careful,
disciplined, logical search for knowledge
about any and all aspects of the universe,
obtained by examination of the best
available evidence and always subject to
correction and improvement upon discovery
of better evidence. What's left is magic - and
magic doesn't work.”
(James Randi)

3. The Scientific Method
• A better approach to magic is to
do experiments and perform
careful observations.
• The results of this approach are
universal in the sense that they
can be reproduced by any skeptic.

4. What is the “Scientific Method”?
• The scientific method is the best way yet
discovered for winnowing the truth from lies
and delusion. The simple version looks
something like this:

5. THEORY
consistent
observations hypothesis predictions
not
consistent?
modify
hypothesis
tests

6. What is the “Scientific Method”?
• Advantage of the scientific method.
• Results are unprejudiced.
• Results are repeatable.
• Which means that.
• Conclusions are testable.

7. What is the “Scientific Method”?
• The conclusions will hold irrespective of
the state of mind, or the religious
persuasion, or the state of consciousness
of the investigator and/or the subject of
the investigation.

8. What is the “Scientific Method”?
• Faith, defined as:-
“belief that does not rest on logical proof or
material evidence”,
does not determine whether a scientific
theory is adopted or discarded.

9. Scientific Laws, Hypotheses, and Theories
Layman’s Terms
Lacks
credibility
“Just a
Theory”
A mere Unprove
Guess d

10. Scientific Law:
• A statement of fact.
• Explains an action or set of actions.
• Accepted to be true and universal.
• Can be a single mathematical equation.

11. Scientific Laws:
• Law of gravity,
• Law of thermodynamics,
• Hooke’s law of elasticity
• Newton’s 2nd Law

12. Isaac Newton’s Inspiration
Nothing yet!
How about you
Newton?

13. Hypothesis:
• Educated guess.
• Based upon observation.
• Rational explanation of a phenomenon.
• Not been proved.
• Supported / refuted by experimentation.

14. Johannes Kepler’s Uphill Battle
What’s a
So you see, the planet?
orbit of a planet is What’s an
What’s
elliptical orbit?
elliptical?

15. Theory:
• Explanation of a set of related observations.
• Based upon proven hypotheses.
• Verified multiple times by detached groups
of researchers.

16. Scientific Laws, Hypotheses, and Theories
So, what’s the difference between a “Law” and
a “Theory”?
• Both are accepted to be true by the
scientific community.
• Both are used to make predictions of
events.
• Both are used to advance technology.

17. Scientific Laws, Hypotheses, and Theories
• A theory is much more complex and dynamic
• A theory explains a whole series of related
phenomena.
• A law governs a single action.

18. Scientific Laws, Hypotheses, and Theories
Some scientific theories.
• The theory of evolution.
• The theory of relativity.
• Quantum theory.
These theories are well documented and proved
beyond reasonable doubt.

19. Acknowledgements
• Harris, S (2005) “Johannes Kepler’s uphill battle”
• Larson, G (2005) “Newton’s Inspiration”
• Wudka, J (2005) “The Scientific Method”,
phyun5.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node6.html,
viewed on Oct 7th
• Wilson, J (2005) “Scientific Laws, Hypotheses & Theories”,
wilstar.com/theories.htm, viewed Oct 7th
• Video Clips taken from “Friends” Episode 3 Season 2, 1996,
“The one where Mr. Heckles dies”