Tuesday 8 January 2013

What is Science?

I think a lot about science and the scientific method.  These are very complex topics, but the more I think about it the more I'm convinced their fundamental basis is very simple.

Science is evidence-based reasoning.

Everything else is implementation detail.

This is a very powerful thought because it's hugely general.  We have a provably unique set of mathematical rules that underpin it (probability theory), the human brain has an excellent track record at generating new scientific ideas, and we're getting better and better at generating new empirical evidence (data).

It also begs an interesting question:  If this is the essence of science, how can we improve our ability to do it effectively?

Food for thought...


1 comment:

  1. Very true mate. The simple statements and ideas are often the most important.

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