The Science of Science

Science is something that most people tend to leave to the experts. But the simple matter is that we are all scientists to some degree. We want to know why and how things work, and we are always testing our ideas.

The old adage "trial and error" is equivalent to science. A simple definition of "science" is humankind's pursuit of a thorough understanding of the natural universe.

History teaches us much about this pursuit. Many times in the past, what we thought about how things worked was wrong. We used to think that everything moved around the Earth. However, several observations confirmed that most things do not move around the earth. The idea, or hypothesis, that everything moved around the Earth was false. Science is all about proving that hypotheses are false.

It follows from this that we can never really know if a hypothesis is true. Albert Einstein once said that, "No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong." Technically, that's correct, but realistically, we don't behave this way. We view many things as fact, and it is appropriate to do so.

We believe that heat rises, since countless observations support that hypothesis. We wouldn't think otherwise. We call this "knowledge." But it is helpful to keep Einstein's concept in mind. Sometimes, what we think is fact can turn out to be fiction, as the history of our planet shows.

To better think about science, it is helpful to discuss the process. The development and testing of a hypothesis is called the scientific method. An experiment that produces a positive result will support a hypothesis. However, an experiment which produces a negative result will immediately falsify a hypothesis. When this happens, a new hypothesis must be developed to explain the new observations.

It is important to understand that a hypothesis is worthy of scientific pursuit only if it can be tested through observation and experiment. A new hypothesis also must be supported by any and all previous knowledge. It is inappropriate to propose a hypothesis that is not aligned with previous knowledge. To suppose that the moon moves around Jupiter would be foolish. But to hypothesize that the moon is moving away from the earth would be valid, as all previous knowledge does not contradict this idea.

Humans have always wanted to understand why things are the way they are, and the scientific method provides the perfect setting for exploring our natural urge to figure things out. Science has helped us to overcome old, irrational fears, and has led to the development of new technologies that improve the quality of our lives.

By constantly narrowing and refining the reasons used to explain natural events to just a few possibilities, or perhaps only one, science gives us a great opportunity. We can take our enhanced understanding of the world and choose to act in ways that improve our society and culture. And always remember, a proper scientific pursuit should attempt to prove that what you think you know about the natural world is actually false.

Matt Wessel has had a long career in the science and technology fields. He is a Sisters resident.