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I think you can simplify science to this: observe, theorize. Repeat these two steps over and over again, refining your theory (or improving your statistical bo

• DanielBMarkham 15y ago
  Falsifiability is critical, as is the provisional nature of inductive reasoning. So I can't simplify as far as you would. But you could probably simplify from this article, no doubt. I think the trick would be to do so in a way that kept the "gotchas" mentioned in the notes.
  • lotharbot 15y ago
    The reason I explain it like I do is that "observation" and "theory" are the core elements; everything else (all the notes and gotchas) are constraints, requirements, or clarifications of those two elements. For example, falsifiability is a constraint on what qualifies as an allowable scientific theory. Recognizing that theories are probabilistic leads to the understanding that they remain provisional (with probability never quite reaching 1). Testing a hypothesis means making observations of a particular sort and comparing them to specific predictions from the hypothesis. Making data and algorithms public is a way to ensure observations can be passed from person to person with a minimum of bias creeping in. And on and on and on...
    • DanielBMarkham 15y ago
      Nope. I got you. Excellent distillation. I was just saying the purpose here was to distill enough to keep a short list, while not too much to leave out significant details. (Common mistakes) You are absolutely right about observe and theory. If I had to take it to two words, those would the the ones.