Scientific Method

Science
By DeMarcus Thomas
September 11, 2012

What is the scientific method? The scientific method is a method for problem solving that has been used for generations. It is the best method for winnowing the truth from lies and delusion (Collins, 2012). The scientific method has been used for ages to solve the mysteries of the universe. Though we are not aware of it we use this method more often than we think.
Consider this seemingly simple scenario. You arrive home late at night. You walk up to the front door, unlock it, and reach in to turn on the light switch located just inside the front door. The light does not come on! Now what? You may not know this but you will use the scientific method to solve this problem. You may also not know that you use the scientific method to solve lots of everyday problems. It has become so simple to use that it is done every day. Even if you simply solved this problem by changing the light bulb or checking the circuit breaker box the scientific method was employed in some way.
Step one of the scientific method is observation. The first thing I would do is look and see if there are other electronic devices off. Based on the observations you make you can determine what the next step should be. If there are other electronic devices on then you can begin to hypothesize where your problem lies. Your observations are the most important thing in this process because what you do not know is what you are trying to figure out subsequently the more you observe the more you will know.
A hypothesis is a proposition, or set of propositions, set forth as an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena, either asserted merely as a provisional conjecture to guide investigation (working hypothesis) or accepted as highly probable in the light of established facts (Collins, 2012). Based on the clues you have like no response from the light switch or whether other electronic devices are working, you can formulate a hypothesis as to what may be the problem. This is the time when a person uses the word “maybe”. For example, maybe there is a problem with the circuit breaker, or maybe the light bulb needs to be changed. What is most important about the hypothesis is that it is based on facts. It would easy to hypothesize that aliens teleported down and used their electromagnetic pulse rays to disable the circuit that powers that light switch but there are no facts to support that hypothesis.
After you have formulated a hypothesis it is time to test it and see if you are correct. This step of the process is called experimentation. For example, if we hypothesize that the light bulb needs to be changed, we can test this hypothesis by replacing the light bulb and turning on the light switch. Since a hypothesis is only a guess it is possible to have many and with experimentation you can fine tune your hypothesis until you reach a proper conclusion. Subsequently if changing the light bulb didn’t work we can formulate another hypothesis. After we have revised our hypothesis we can experiment again until we get the desired results. Experimentation is critical to the scientific method because it is what turns your hypothesis and educated guesses into facts and truths.
Sometimes your experiments will yield results that do not disprove your hypothesis yet does not prove your hypothesis is true. For example, you decide to change the light bulb and tried the switch again but there is no change in the result or difference in reaction. Does this mean that the light bulb could not be a problem? No, it is very possible that something could have happened to that circuit and the surge in electricity overloaded the light bulb. Nevertheless it will not work without another bulb. Be sure to carefully observe your results otherwise your experiments will yield fallacies. Fallacies are an often plausible argument using false or invalid inference (Collins, 2012). This could affect your results in big ways. Consider the end result if you assume that just because the new light bulb didn’t work the light bulb isn’t the problem. You may try to use the original bulb again and this in turn corrupts the results of any experimentation done with that bulb.
The safest way to experiment is with an open mind. If you expect to see a certain result then you could get tunnel vision and ignore the alternative results your experimentation yields. For example, convinced that the circuit breaker is the problem, you investigate. As you look at every circuit breaker you notice the one labeled “front door”. Assuming that this is the one you are looking for you begin to push and pull the switch without looking at the other labels. You return to the front door only to find that there is no change. What happened? It is very easy to create another fallacy here by assuming that the circuit breaker is not the problem. The experiment was not conducted correctly. Even though the label on the circuit breaker reads front door that does not mean that the label is correct. The proper way to conduct this experiment is to trip all the breakers. This would ensure that you tripped the breaker that you are looking for but since you are only focusing on one outcome and one method of experimentation your results are filled with fallacies.
Once your experimentation yields the desired results you can come up with a solution. By changing the light bulb you determine whether the light bulb is the sole problem, if the light bulb doesn’t change the results then you need to revise you hypothesis and consider the alternative causes of the problem. By tripping all of the breakers you can determine whether the problem lies in the circuit. If this somehow does not solve the problem then it is time to go back to the observation part of the process. It is through the repetition of this process that a conclusion or two can be reached. What should be expected is the correct answer and not the desired answer. The easy fixes would be the circuit breaker or the light bulb but that does not mean you can over look things like a power outage or just disconnection of services. The right answer should always be the goal not just the desired answer. In other words you are trying to find out what turns on the light not just what you hope turns on the light. In retrospect this may all seem very complex but in actuality what has happened here is something that people encounter all the time. To summarize, you flip a switch only to notice that the light it controls does not come on. By observation you hypothesize that either the light bulb is bad or if the circuit is broken. You experiment with the light bulb by replacing it with a new one only to discover that the problem still exists. Then you revise your hypothesis and check the circuit breaker box. Instead of being solely fixated on one word written on the label next to the circuit breaker you decide to flip all of the switches ensuring that the desired switch has been tripped. In the event that this does not work you are fully prepared to solve this problem without being biased but rather influenced by the failed experiments that brought you here. Can you count the many different ways you have used the scientific method? Think about all the times you lost your car keys, or solved a complicated math problem at work. How many times can you say you have employed these methods when solving your problem? It is all too common because the scientific method is among the easiest methods used to solve complex problems. If we use this method, without knowing, all the time then it imagine if we woke up and suddenly decided to employ this method, on purpose, for all of our problems. The things we would learn from our mistakes would be unique. Every hypothetical solution to a problem could lead you to a discovery completely outside of your intentions. People would become avid observers because of the doors that observations could open. Experimentation turns into exploration of newly discovered phenomena and if you think this I am stretching the truth a little then consider how much was learned simply by turning on a light switch. It is easy to say that science has shaped our lives completely. The television we watch, and the cars we drive, even the energy we consume has been greatly affected by science. There is never a day in my own life where science does not play a major role in my existence. From the moment I wake up I am reminded of the many chemical reactions that occur in the body. When the light hits the corneas of my eyes and sends a signal to my brain identifying what I am looking at, science is taking place. I wash my hands using soap and water which creates a chemical reaction that is capable of separating oil and dirt from water. Then as I get into my car the mixture of gas, air, and electricity creates an internal combustion and the powers the rods in the engine block turning the wheel. Throughout my day many different things happen that can be attributed to science. Science has not only lead to good things but also has caused some problems as well.\
The development of fossil fuel was a great idea but the pollution that came as result of the development of fossil fuels still remain one of the worlds biggest problem. Whether the world decides to stop using fossil fuels it will be science’s responsibility to make a safer alternative to fossil fuels. It would seem that no matter what the case may be. Science will always be the one a taking that first step.

Bibliography
Helmestine, A. M. (2012). How soap works. Retrieved from http://chemistry.about.com/od/cleanerchemistry/a/how-soap-cleans.htm

scientific method. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved
September 11, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scientific method hypothesis. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved September
11, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypothesis fallacy. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved
September 11, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fallacy

Bibliography: Helmestine, A. M. (2012). How soap works. Retrieved from http://chemistry.about.com/od/cleanerchemistry/a/how-soap-cleans.htm scientific method. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved September 11, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scientific method hypothesis. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved September 11, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypothesis fallacy. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved September 11, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fallacy