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Re: Back to basics – testing your hypothesis.
Posted by:
Jim Mazerat (IP Logged)
Date: January 21, 2007 07:41PM
It is my belief all testing of a hypothesis is with the intention of disproving the hypothesis. You may test the hypothesis 50 times and never disprove it, but what about the 51 time. A single test, if confirmed, may disprove a hypothesis but it cannot prove it to be correct. A given series of tests may corroborate the hypothesis, but subsequent experiments under different conditions may disprove it. Therefore, there is no absolute knowledge in science. There is only progress--optimistically--toward a more complete and accurate understanding of the natural world. But at any time current scientific opinion may be overthrown by new observations, by better theories.