The scientific method really isn't perfect, unfortunately. It's a collection of heuristics, traditions and methods that's been assembled over time and which is

The scientific method really isn't perfect, unfortunately. It's a collection of heuristics, traditions and methods that's been assembled over time and which is still being assembled. That's why there's such tremendous uncertainty about what the scientific method precisely consists of and requires, and why nobody anywhere in the scientific system is responsible for ensuring scientists actually use the scientific method. Here are just a few questions that expose the imperfection of the scientific method: 1. Does it require you to do experiments? 2. What P value threshold does the scientific method require? 3. What can it be applied to? Just the natural world? People? Economies? Artificial machines? Is AI research using the scientific method, or is it just engineering? 4. How should uncertainty be treated? Does the scientific method require the use of subjective or objective Bayesian theory, or does it not matter at all? 5. If you build a statistical model, are you allowed to use assumptions? If yes, how many and of what type? If there are no restrictions on it, what stops astrology being scientific? 6. Does the scientific method require pre-registration of studies? If it does, then does it mean every study before this became a common approach were unscientific? If not, then why are scientists encouraged to do it? Etc.