How can you tell what science is?

Answer 1

Science is a method of finding new information about our world.

To use science to explain things around you, you must construct testable hypotheses, or proposed explanations that can be tested through experiment.

Hypotheses are explanations that make predictions, and those predictions are tested through scientific experiments. The results of the experiments are used to formulate a theory, or an explanation that is supported by scientific evidence.

When a scientist publishes new scientific results, his findings are often double-checked by other scientists to ensure they are reproducible. They will run the same experiment multiple times to see if they get the same result. If the results of an experiment cannot be reproduced, they are probably the result of chance, or even false. Publishing false results is not scientific at all.

Scientists also question hypotheses and theories to ensure they are scientific. They double-check publications to ensure they are factual and that the conclusion reflects the results of the experiment. This is called peer review.

Sometimes scientists don't get the result they expect from an experiment. This can be even more exciting than getting an expected result! Scientists use the results of an experiment, no matter what they are, to form theories on the cause of the results. These theories often raise new questions which are further tested with new experiments. This is what keeps science moving forward!

Science is a never-ending process which occurs worldwide. Anyone can be a scientist, and with the cooperation of millions of scientists across the world, our knowledge is furthered.