“There are two ways of forming an opinion. One is the scientific method; the other, the scholastic. To the scientific mind, experimental proof is all-important, and theory is merely a convenience in description, to be junked when it no longer fits. To the academic mind, authority is everything, and facts are junked when they do not fit theory.” WayMindTwoImportantFactsOpinionTheoryFitAuthorityMethodProofDescriptionAcademicConvenienceTwo WaysScientific MethodScholastics Author:Robert A. Heinlein
“The purpose of scientific method is to select a single truth from among many hypothetical truths. That, more than anything else, is what science is all about. But historically science has done exactly the opposite. Through multiplication upon multiplication of facts, information, theories and hypotheses, it is science itself that is leading mankind from single absolute truths to multiple indeterminate, relative ones.” DoneFactsPurposeMankindInformationTheoryOppositesAbsolutesMethodRelativeMultipleHypothesisSelectScientific MethodAbsolute TruthHypotheticalMultiplication Author:Robert M. Pirsig
“One might get the impression that I recommend a new methodology which replaces induction by counterinduction and uses a multiplicity of theories, metaphysical views, fairy tales, instead of the customary pair theory/observation. This impression would certainly be mistaken. My intention is not to replace one set of general rules by another such set: my intention is rather to convince the reader that all methodologies, even the most obvious ones, have their limits.” UseMightScienceViewsTheoryReaderLimitsIntentionObviousImpressionTalesObservationFairyConvincePairsFairy TaleMistakenMetaphysicalMultiplicityScientific MethodEpistemologyMethodology Book:Against Method Source: Against Method
“Philosophers of science constantly discuss theories and representation of reality, but say almost nothing about experiment, technology, or the use of knowledge to alter the world. This is odd, because 'experimental method' used to be just another name for scientific method.... I hope [to] initiate a Back-to-Bacon movement, in which we attend more seriously to experimental science. Experimentation has a life of its own.” WorldUseRealityScienceUsedNamesTechnologyMovementTheoryMethodPhilosopherExperimentsUsed To BeOddRepresentationExperimentationScientific MethodInitiateExperimental ScienceUse Of Knowledge Book:Representing and Intervening: Introductory Topics in the Philosophy of Natural Science Source: Representing and Intervening: Introductory Topics in the Philosophy of Natural Science
“But although in theory physicists realize that their conclusions are ... not certainly true, this ... does not really sink into their consciousness. Nearly all the time ... they ... act as if Science were indisputably True, and what's more, as if only science were true.... Any information obtained otherwise than by the scientific method, although it may be true, the scientists will call "unscientific," using this word as a smear word, by bringing in the connotation from its original [Greek] meaning, to imply that the information is false, or at any rate slightly phony.” IfsMayDoeScienceRealizingConsciousnessInformationTheoryScientistOriginalsMethodRateConclusionBeing TrueGreekPhysicistPhonyScientific MethodConnotation Author:Anthony Standen
“I'm pretty confident the why works now. When it first began, somebody said to me: "Will this work in big business?" I said, "I don't know. Let's try." Somebody said will this work in entrepreneurs, relationships or government and military. I said, "I don't know. Let's try." I kept applying the scientific method. I had a theory. I kept applying that theory, looking for opportunities to fail and it kept working.” KnowsTryingFirstsSaidBigsGovernmentOpportunityFailingMilitaryTheoryMethodEntrepreneurBig BusinessScientific Method Author:Simon Sinek