Questions tagged [scientific-method]

The Scientific Method is meant to answer questions based on observation and experimentation.

The Scientific Method is meant to answer questions based on observation and experimentation.

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Is there an alternative to the scientific method?

Intro The scientific method is a key process of how we acquire knowledge and may shape our understanding of the world. If I am not mistaken, this method has been defined several times during our history. The scientific method is not free from…
Remi.b
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Can one speak unambiguously of "the" scientific method?

When people in general discuss science, they talk about the scientific method as if it were a fixed and universally agreed-upon principle. In a show I saw recently by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, he explicitly states that it was invented by Ibn Al Haytham…
Alexander S King
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How does Quine answer the metaphysician's charge that scientism is self-refuting?

General scientism seems to hold that due to the predictive powers of our scientific methods, such methods are preferred to other methods of knowledge, such as metaphysics (radical scientism claiming that metaphysics is by and large simply irrelevant…
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Using the Duck-Typing method in scientific context

Some programming languages use Duck Typing to determine types of Objects, based on their methods and properties and not their declared type. Simplified, it goes down to the premise "If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then it must be…
Jankapunkt
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What is the relation between proof in mathematics and observation in physics?

Recently in his 2015 Hirzebruch Lecture in Bonn, Arthur Jaffe re-amplified his famous perspective that finding proof in mathematics is analogous to making experimental observation in physics. In paraphrase: One observes that a proof exists, much as…
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How is Bayesian reasoning related to the scientific method?

Back in September 2006, Scott Aaronson wrote a famous blog post giving 10 Reasons to believe that N!=NP. In March 2014, he wrote a more ambitious post about The scientific case for N!=NP. He claims: "This post supersedes my 2006 post on the same…
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Is Feyerabend confusing discovery and justification when he criticizes the scientific method?

I am reading Feyerabend's "Against Method", where he uses Copernicus's (and Galileo's confirmation) discovery of the fact that the Earth orbits around the Sun and other examples to show that irrational approaches can lead to legitimate scientific…
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Does the Scientific Method of research apply to philosophy?

The Scientific Method is essentially the effort to discover causation in perceived correlations of collected data. In other words it hunts for 'recipes' that can be applied to consistently achieve a desired result, and as such does not inquire into…
slashmais
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What makes a good question?

Most philosophy begins with a question. I'm wondering why certain questions provoke more profound thoughts than others. What characteristics do good questions share with each other? How can we go about finding worthy problems to seek solving? For…
john
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Is there a way to tell if something is science versus pseudoscience?

Is there a litmus test to know whether something is science or pseudoscience? There are many things which is quite ambiguous like ayurveda, homeopathy, psychology, biology, etc...
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How to demonstrate causation if correlation isn't sufficient?

It is widely known that correlation does not necessarily imply causation. However, after recognizing that the correlation alone doesn't prove causation, what needs to happen in order to evaluate whether the causation exists? What's the missing…
Winston Ewert
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Does Intelligent Design fulfill the necessary criteria to be recognized as a scientific theory?

I am seeking a comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the concept of Intelligent Design (ID) in order to determine whether it meets the essential requirements to be considered a scientific theory. I am particularly interested in gathering insights…
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Is faith required to believe any axiomatic assumption the scientific method is built upon?

It's my understanding that the scientific method builds upon certain axiomatic assumptions, such as uniformitarianism and the principle of induction. Is faith required to believe these axiomatic assumptions?
user48437
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How can probability statements be falsified?

Have studied recently some about philosophical views of probability and ran into an interesting problem put forward by Popper: According to Popper, probability statements are not strictly falsifiable. [For example, the statement "the probability…
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Is physicalism a current scientific consensus?

I was reading Wikipedia through materialism and physicalism article and was unable to find, whether modern scientists largely subscribe to physicalism in natural sciences. What is the scientific consensus on the metaphysical stances? To…
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