The Scientific Method

Study Notes

The scientific method is a systematic approach used to establish scientific knowledge or modify existing knowledge.
It is considered by many scientists and historians as the foundation of modern science.
The method generally contains the following steps: make an observation, ask a question, research the question, propose a hypothesis, test the hypothesis with an experiment, draw a conclusion based on the experiment, and repeat.

The scientific method was not invented at a particular time, but rather developed through a scientific culture that normalized the techniques associated with the method.
The major steps toward creating the modern scientific method occurred in Ancient Greece and the Medieval Islamic and European worlds.

Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) is generally considered the father of the scientific method.
Aristotle (384-322 BC) is considered the first scientist due to his arguments in favor of observation and empirical evidence.
Aristotle established the tabula rasa theory, which states that the human mind is a blank slate, and we can only find true knowledge by trusting our senses and observing our surroundings.
Abu Rayhan al-Biruni used experiments to prove his mathematical and geological theories in the Islamic Golden Age of Science.
Roger Bacon (1219-1292) promoted experimental science and advocated for recording experiments so that others may repeat them.

In 1620, Francis Bacon published his treatise, Novum Organum (The New Organ), in which he laid out what we know today as the scientific method.
Bacon argued for inductive reasoning, believing that a scientist should make a series of observations and use those observations to make a broad conclusion.
Bacon's method opposed deductive reasoning, which was largely dominant in European science until the previous century.

Galileo Galilei put Francis Bacon's philosophy into practice, arguing that the ultimate aim of science should be the pursuit of the truth, even if that truth goes against commonly held beliefs.
Isaac Newton (1642-1727) supported Bacon's philosophy, writing that scientists should be driven by observation and evidence rather than their desires to prove a specific conclusion.
René Descartes (1596-1650) opposed Bacon on many fronts, promoting rationalism instead of empiricism, and deductive reasoning instead of inductive reasoning.

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