Science has clearly transformed the world in the past hundred years. The rapid advance of technology, which is firmly based on science, bears witness to its might. But what is science? We speak of scientific facts, but where do they come from? If we think of science as only as a list of facts, we are missing something far more wonderful—a never-ending journey of discovery.
Above all, science is a way to learn about nature. Let’s consider nature as everything around us—or even inside us—that can be observed and explained objectively. “Objectively” means that what we observe doesn’t change based on our personal feelings or the way our senses work. Through objective observation, we gather information about things either directly (with our eyes) or indirectly (using tools like microscopes).
To advance science, scientists use the scientific method—a systematic way to explore nature’s objective properties.”
The scientific method begins with observation, which inspires scientists to imagine possible explanations for why nature behaves as it does. Any explanation must be tested before it can be accepted as scientific knowledge, and scientists do this by running experiments.
Before testing, any “possible explanation” of nature is, to some extent, just a product of our own thinking. To test it, scientists rely on mathematical logic and the established knowledge from earlier experiments. The explanation is then formed into a hypothesis—a statement that can be tested as true or false. In other words, the hypothesis is like a question that the experiment tries to answer with a yes or no.”
If a hypothesis is true, it should predict how something in nature behaves under certain conditions (for example, what happens when two chemicals are mixed). An experiment is then designed to test this prediction. Depending on whether the predicted behavior occurs, the experiment gives us evidence about the hypothesis. If the prediction fails, the hypothesis is rejected (assuming the experiment was done correctly). If the prediction is confirmed, the experiment supports the hypothesis. However, even if the prediction is confirmed, this does not automatically make the hypothesis a scientific fact. A hypothesis becomes accepted as fact only after many experiments and when most scientists agree on its validity. Each proper experiment adds to the scientific evidence supporting the hypothesis.
Science advances in a continuous cycle: the results of one experiment become part of the basis for future experiments, as scientists gradually accept a hypothesis as reliable. As technology improves, its applications help test and support earlier findings. Over time, scientific facts become very reliable through their practical use, even though scientists prefer not to say they are absolutely “proven” like in mathematics.
Technology constantly develops new devices to extend our ability to observe. For example, astronomers can study the universe either by looking through telescopes or by receiving images from space-based telescopes. Similarly, virologists use specialized instruments that continue to be developed to examine the tiny molecular structures in viruses, since regular microscopes cannot even see the virus as a whole that causes COVID-19.
A theory is like a big idea that brings together several related hypotheses in a consistent way. Even if a theory is a powerful explanation of nature, that alone doesn’t prove it’s right. Scientists may propose different theories, and that’s a good thing—it leads to more experiments and new discoveries. A true scientist keeps an open mind and is willing to change their ideas when new evidence shows a theory is wrong, even though it can be hard for anyone to admit a mistake.
To fully understand how the scientific method works, you’d have to step outside of science and look at it philosophically. But that’s not needed—just like you don’t need to know all the details of how language works to use it well. A well-trained scientist knows the rules and can tell if an experiment follows the scientific method, at least in their own field.
While many imagine a scientist as a lone, introverted person spending endless hours in a lab, science is actually a social activity. Scientists often check each other’s experiments to make sure the scientific method was followed properly. It’s essential for scientists to publish detailed information about their experiments—including the steps taken and the results—so that others can verify and repeat the work. Only by working together, checking each other’s work, and repeating experiments can we build strong support for scientific findings and help science advance.”
>As science advances, so does the amount of data it produces. Simply put, data are numbers that carry specific information. Today, a typical scientific experiment collects data through observations, processes it during the experiment, and publishes the results. Scientists also review data from others’ experiments to better understand the topics they study. In peer review, scientists (often anonymously) examine experiments to ensure they were done correctly and that the data was properly interpreted.
Keep in mind that this is a basic explanation, and the scientific method can look different in various fields. For example, in drug research, the experiment might be a drug trial. The hypothesis could be as simple as ‘Drug X is effective in slowing down virus Y in the human body.’ The prediction might be, ‘In a double-blind study, individuals with disease Z who take Drug X will have significantly lower viral loads of virus Y than those taking a placebo.’ In cases of dangerous diseases, this trial might even be conducted in a hospital’s ICU.
But who decides what counts as ‘significant’? You might think it’s subjective, but advanced statistical methods give us objective ways to calculate significance. There have been times when science lost ground because experts clung to their beliefs without testing conflicting evidence. For example, until around 1990, our understanding of the human brain was limited, but improvements in imaging tools have since corrected many mistakes. Scientists are human and can make errors or even try to deceive, just like anyone else. However, what sets science apart is its process: misinformation and deception can only go so far. The truth eventually comes out—not through authority, money, or personal belief, but through the collaborative efforts of scientists searching for objective truth. Without this process, technological progress would be hindered, since lasting advances depend on the honest application of the scientific method.
©2020, 2021 Dr. Michael Herrera