The Scientific Method

A hypothesis is a testable idea that has not yot been
proven or disproven.

A scientist who formulates a hypothesis must accept
responsibility for his own hypothesis. He himself is
responsible for devising an experiment to prove or
disprove the hypothesis empirically.

After the proof has been successfully replicated by other
scientists with no evidence found that contradicts the
hypothesis, the hypothesis may be advanced to the status
of theory.

A theory may then always be retested using known methods
and produce consistent results.

Usually the first scientist to actually test the
hypothesis is the one for whom the theory is named. Not
the first person to postulate the hypothesis.

For example, although DaVinci drew pretty pictures of
cars, planes, helicopters and parachutes, he did not
actually build any of these things to prove that they
could work. Therefore he is not the inventor. He is just
an artist who drew pretty pictures.

DaVincis airplane drawings did not in any way assist the
Wright brothers in their engineering of a real working
aircraft.

Jeff Scott wrote:

> Usually the first scientist to actually test the
> hypothesis is the one for whom the theory is named. Not
> the first person to postulate the hypothesis.

I don't think this is true at all. A lot of theoriests leave their
names behind. Probably it's the first to produce a complete theory,
that makes the hypothesis testable. Even so, how about Fermat's last
theorem?

Also, there are discoveries that get ignored and re-discovered.
Posterity can be harsh.

> For example, although DaVinci drew pretty pictures of
> cars, planes, helicopters and parachutes, he did not
> actually build any of these things to prove that they
> could work. Therefore he is not the inventor. He is just
> an artist who drew pretty pictures.

More than that, he didn't draw them in such a way that they could
have worked. And his drawings weren't used by the real inventors.
Hence:

> DaVincis airplane drawings did not in any way assist the
> Wright brothers in their engineering of a real working
> aircraft.

But shouldn't we also consider the difference between a theory and an
invention?

Graham

Feynman stated that he thought of his own theories as not being true but
things that were useful to others. He did not think truth were possible.

"X. J. Scott" wrote:

> A hypothesis is a testable idea that has not yot been
> proven or disproven.
>

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

["X. J. Scott" wrote:]
>>A hypothesis is a testable idea that has not yot been
>>proven or disproven.

[Kraig Grady wrote:]
>Feynman stated that he thought of his own theories as not being true i
>but things that were useful to others. He did not think truth were
>possible.

I'm a huge fan of Richard Feynmann; he wrote two very funny
autobiographical books which I recommend highly. Haven't heard this
quote before.

Just before his death, Feynmann sat on the group formed after the space
shuttle Challenger's disaster. In typical fashion, he cut through all
the BS and put his finger on the problem. Wish he were still here with
us!

JdL

John!
Kepler would be good to have around also!

"John A. deLaubenfels" wrote:

> , Feynmann . Wish he were still here with
> us!
>
>

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Kraig Grady wrote:]
>>Feynman

[I wrote:]
Feynmann ...

Oops, my bad! Feynman is correct.

JdL