The Nature of Scientific Inquiry

1
The Nature of Scientific Inquiry

• How Science Works

2
Foundations of Science

• Natural Cause The universe behaves in a
  predictable way under rules that can be
  determined through observation and
  experimentation.
• Efficient Cause effect follows cause (no Final
  Cause, no teleological)

3
Foundations of Science

• Uniformity The rules are constant through
  space and time.
• Parsimony All other things being equal, the
  simplest explanation is the best.
• Objectivity The scientist must set aside
  preconceived concepts that might prejudice
  investigation and interpretation.

4
Foundations of Science

• Falsifiability (Popper)
• every hypothesis and theory is subject to being
  proven false at any time
• Paradigms (Kuhn)
• scientists operate under overarching ideas that
  determine the areas investigated and how the
  results are interpreted
• new ideas that vary significantly from the
  existing paradigm must overturn the existing
  paradigm in order to be taken seriously

5
Scientific Investigation

• Characteristics
• objective
• systematic
• precise (of known precision)
• accurate (of known accuracy)
• creative
• insightful
• rational

6
Scientific Investigation

• Scientific Method
• no single method
• a pattern for how to examine things
• unassailable proof and truth are very rare (if
  they exist at all)
• must document

7
Scientific Method

• Observation
• Question
• Hypothesis
• Investigation
• observation
• experimentation
• Theory

8
Theory Hypothesis

• Hypothesis
• a working explanation or educated guess
• competing hypotheses are often investigated
  simultaneously
• Theory
• the best explanation supported by a preponderance
  of the evidence
• the best a scientist can hope for

9
Scientific Explanations

• must be natural
• must be supported by available data
• must be testable falsifiable
• subject to revision or refinement or negation
• should be predictive

10
Scientific Explanations

• no arguments from or appeals to authority
• can should build on published work of others
• must be prepared to defend previous work as well

11
Scientific Uncertainty

• always present
• goal known range
• lt 1 extremely unlikely
• 1-10 little chance, very unlikely
• 10-33 some chance, unlikely
• 33-66 medium likelihood
• 66-90 likely, probable
• 90-99 very likely, very probable
• gt 99 virtual certainty
• (from Uncertain ScienceUncertain World,
  Pollack, 2003)

12
Scientific Publication

• Oral Presentation
• Poster Presentation
• Peer Reviewed
• Scientific Report
• Journal
• Text/Reference

13
Why give science precedence?

• It works!
• Examples
• Germ theory explains why we get sick
• Plate tectonics theory explains earthquakes
  volcanoes predicts economic deposits
• Gravity theory allows safe space travel
  structure design
• Natural selection theory agricultural
  development, improved medical practice
  (laboratory experimentation germ control),
  enhanced pest control