Retorts

Stating the Scientific Principle

Since your publication has commented lately on the new(ish) trend for mysticism -- healing crystals, yogic levitation, horoscopes and other pseudoscience etc. -- I would like to suggest that you might find room somewhere in your publication for a definitive statement of the Scientific Principle, which might perhaps appear at intervals to remind us of what the business is all about. The point being that this Principle may -- and should be -- applied to almost any walk of modern life.

My own interpretation of the Principle is as follows:

The basic premise of The Scientific Principle is that everything in the entire Universe is capable of logical explanation by humans.

1) OBSERVATION. A phenomenon is closely observed.

2) HYPOTHESES. Some attempt is made to explain what has been observed and the tentative explanations promulgated.

3) PREDICTION. From the tentative explanations, predictions are made as to possible behaviour in certain circumstances.

4) EXPERIMENTATION. Experiments are devised and performed to test the predictions and the results are promulgated.

5) REVIEW. The results of the experiments are reviewed and possible further predictions and experiments are performed and promulgated.

6) THEORIES can then be suggested for further review.

Only after this process has been painstakingly undergone may the theory generally be regarded as fact. Anything unable to pass such a test cannot be regarded as other than a possibility.

I do believe that this Principle should be taught widely; not only to young scientists (it rarely is at present) but to all children of school age as part of the school curriculum so the knowledge be widespread and so used in society.

However, when one comes back to Earth, one realizes that this idea would not be greeted with any enthusiasm by many entrenched and powerful interests, so that the ideal is unlikely to come about. But wouldn't it be good, eh?

John Burgess, Mapua, Nelson