[WildTurkey]

Experimentation is the only “prospective” means of testing hypotheses or theories.

I know I am jumping into the middle but I found this statement to catch my attention for if you believe that then you reject the basis for much of our science and sheds light on your lack of knowledge of the scientific process.

I will trust that if you want to talk more about my concerns, you will go visit an authority on the scientifc theory of validating hypotheses and the critical function of peer review of theories. Thank you.

[Lucky Dog]

[Experimentation is the only “prospective” means of testing hypotheses or theories.]

…if you believe that then you reject the basis for much of our science and sheds light on your lack of knowledge of the scientific process.

I will trust that if you want to talk more about my concerns, you will go visit an authority on the scientifc theory of validating hypotheses and the critical function of peer review of theories. Thank you.

Perhaps, you mistook my meaning or I, yours. Please note the following definitions and confirm whether I mistook you or vice versa:

prospective adj : relating to or effective in the future

retrospective adj : concerned with or related to the past

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Introduction to the Scientific Method

The scientific method is the process by which scientists, collectively and over time, endeavor to construct an accurate (that is, reliable, consistent and non-arbitrary) representation of the world. Recognizing that personal and cultural beliefs influence both our perceptions and our interpretations of natural phenomena, we aim through the use of standard procedures and criteria to minimize those influences when developing a theory. As a famous scientist once said, "Smart people (like smart lawyers) can come up with very good explanations for mistaken points of view." In summary, the scientific method attempts to minimize the influence of bias or prejudice in the experimenter when testing an hypothesis or a theory.

I. The scientific method has four steps

1. Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena.

2. Formulation of an hypothesis to explain the phenomena. In physics, the hypothesis often takes the form of a causal mechanism or a mathematical relation.

3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations.

4. Performance of experimental tests of the predictions by several independent experimenters and properly performed experiments

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