Confidence is a tricky concept, but it's also a pragmatic one.  We can never be 100% sure of anything, but we still need to get on with the business of living our lives.  There are bridges and airplanes and smartphones to build, and they all rely our current scientific theories.  We don't have certainty that … Continue reading Confidence

You may have learned in a previous science class that scientific hypotheses must make testable predictions. A less simplified statement is that scientific hypotheses must be falsifiable. Falsifiability is a cornerstone of science.  Start by reading the entry on the Criterion of falsifiability from Encyclopedia Britannica. I like to simplify the definition of falsifiable by … Continue reading Falsifiability

It is a common misconception that the scientific method is series of steps that scientists use to prove a hypothesis either correct or incorrect.  Imagine a common junior high science project.  Two near-identical plants are planted in identical soil under identical light.  One is watered daily, one is not.  The one that is watered thrives, … Continue reading The Scientific Method