Week3.1--reading blog--LI LINLIN

 (1)Summary:

The scientific method is an empirical method of acquiring knowledge in the development of science since the 17th century, characterized by careful observation and strict skepticism of cognitive assumptions. This approach involves building hypotheses through inductive reasoning, testing them through experiments and statistical analysis, and adjusting or discarding them based on the results. The core steps of the scientific method include formulating hypotheses, deriving predictions from those hypotheses, and conducting experiments or observations based on those predictions to verify the falsifiability of the hypotheses. Although the scientific method is often viewed as a set of fixed steps, it is actually more embodied as a set of general principles in which the occurrence, degree, and sequence of steps can vary according to the needs of a particular field of study.

As for the historical development of scientific method, the evolution of scientific inquiry methodology has always been an important part of the history of science from ancient times to modern times. The rules of the scientific method are not static, but have undergone many changes and debates as science itself has evolved. Throughout history, different scientists and philosophers have engaged in heated debates over methods of building scientific knowledge. Early forms of empirical expression existed in antiquity, and during the scientific revolution, thinkers such as Francis Bacon and Robert Hooke further developed the empirical method. In the 20th century, challenges to the universality of the scientific method were presented, with representative critics such as Thomas Kuhn and Paul Feyerabend emphasizing the heterogeneity and locality of scientific practice. In addition, the modern discussion of the scientific method also shows that, despite the doubts about the universality of the scientific method, the experimental scientific method is still the core of scientific inquiry. The concept and practice of the scientific method as a whole has undergone a complex process of evolution and has evolved through constant debate and revision.

The relationship between the scientific method and statistics, complex systems science, and mathematics, and how these relationships affect the reliability of scientific knowledge and the practice of scientific inquiry.

The article points out the challenges that the scientific method can face in adopting statistics, especially when the poor use of statistics has a negative impact on the reliability of scientific research. It cites John Ioannidis, who points out that small studies, studies with high design flexibility, and studies with financial interests or biases have lower veracity. In addition, although the probability of success before the study may be low, most new findings still come from hypothesis-generating studies.

The difficulty of applying the scientific method to dealing with complex systems, emphasizing that scientific discoveries are incomplete without consideration of the social practices that influence them. This perspective suggests that modern technologies such as big data and predictive analytics may be somewhat at odds with traditional scientific methods.

The interrelationship between mathematics and science illustrates the similarities between the two in the discovery process, especially in the use of iterative and recursive steps. Nevertheless, there are differences in the way mathematics and science describe reality, including the "unreasonable validity" of mathematics and the view that mathematics is a product of human practice.

This article shows how the scientific method intersects with and is challenged by other disciplines, while also highlighting ongoing scientific and mathematical methodological developments and debates.

(2)intersting point:

The challenges that the scientific method may face in adopting statistics, in particular Johann Ioannidis' view of small studies, studies with high design flexibility, and studies with financial interests or biases that have lower veracity of results. This view challenges the objectivity and reliability of scientific research and reveals some potential problems in the practice of science.

(3)Q:

Given these widespread problems in scientific research, how can the scientific community improve research design and statistical methods to improve the authenticity and reliability of research results?