The scientific method is a process that outlines a number of principles for answering questions. Many people in day-to-day situations use the scientific methods. For example, if I were to try to start my car and it doesn’t work, my first reaction would be to think of reason my car is not starting.
This is just a brief example of the scientific method. The principles in the Scientific method should be used in an orderly manner to answer your questions. The scientific method lets people research true things as well as false. There is no guessing when using the Scientific method it is completely natural. From my military career I can say from experience that Integrity is one of our Five Army Values.
I like to think the Scientific method is having entire integrity, due to the fact that it is this method of discovery, and justification for that discovery, which must be accomplished entirely with integrity.
The scientific method consists of five steps: observation, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion and scientific theory. You must identify your problem when doing observation. Second, you must gather as much information about the problem as possible. Third you want to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an unproved explanation for a natural event.
Based on observation a hypothesis is a scientist’s best explanation. One reason why the hypothesis is so important is because it is the comparison for experimental data. Next, you have experiments, which is basically testing your hypothesis. Deductive reasoning includes the logic of the experiment and pretty much making a prediction on supported studies. Inductive and Deductive reasoning differ by the fact that inductive reasoning is based on experience or observation, while deductive reasoning is based on laws, rules or other widely accepted principles. The final step to the scientific method is the conclusion.
Scientists must analyze the data in order to reach a conclusion as to whether the hypothesis is supported or not. The main goal of science is to distinguish the necessary from the not so necessary. In doing this, science distinguished laws from theories. A theory is an axiomatic system constituting a self-contained world. Law is what is real within-constituent of- an axiomatic system, and an accidental generalization is untrue within- not constituent of- an axiomatic system.
Since a statistically significant correlation can be real in one axiomatic system and unreal in another, what is a law in one axiomatic system need not be a law in another system. (Godel’s Proof 27) A scientific law is usually a statement of fact that is meant to explain a set of action. Scientific laws are generally accepted to be true and universal. An example of a law would be the laws of thermodynamics. A scientific theory in many ways is like a law. Theory is an explanation or a set of action based on a hypothesis.
The difference between scientific theory and scientific law is that the theory is more complicated. A law is about a single action, whereas theory explains the entire series of actions. In general both scientific theory and scientific law are both used and accepted by scientists world wide. One major topic in biology today that is misunderstood is stem cell research.
Many people believe that stem cells only come from human embryos but this in fact false. They also come straight from bone marrow. Stem cell research was initially conducted by using brain cells, since then bone marrow has followed. It wasn’t until scientists realized that human embryos could be used that it became controversial.
Anti-abortionists claim stem cell research is taking a human life. In the past two years, scientists have found many different ways to derive stem cells from adults. Therefore no longer needing to use the stem cells of embryos. My thought on stem cell research is that it is wrong to use stem cells from embryos.
Adult stem cell research is fine, but taking a baby’s life is against my beliefs. Works CitedMader, Sylvia S. Biology 8th ed . New York, New York: Mcgraw-Hill Publishing, 2004Michael, James Scientific Method. Ernest Nagel and James R. Newman, Godel’s Proof (New York: New York University Press, 1986) 27.
