Saturday 19 October 2013

The Hypothetico-Deductive Method (HDM) and the Scientific Method - The Noir: Have it from me if you like...

The Hypothetico-Deductive Method (HDM) is a kind of minimal scientific method. Not only this, but it ensures the necessary requirements in place in order to produce a reliable result inside the experiment/discovery context where the procedures are clear and replicable.

The listing by HDM:
* the method for experiment or discovery
* the means to experiment or discovery, whether lab apparatus or satellite in space
* a data-set that the above produces with the observations to go
* the logics involved to determine success or failure, two used, Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens
* the theory/hypothesis part for a possible success, in giving the set-up an aim, a description, a constructive intention

- then it's to go ahead with plans.

The result from the HDM set-up can be focused diversely in that it holds rich possibilities for both descriptions or, more luckily, one identifies natural laws, like with the classical physics, after Newton especially.

While scientific method in the past, before mid-80s, has been characterised by much (confusing)  description, HDM cuts this down to the bone. With HDM describing the minimal set of scientific method the World now gets better grip on science and can start think more constructively on the requirements, such as the theory/hypothesis part, the experiment part, possible outcome of a given set-up, either for discovery as with the Hubble Telescope or for the experiment set-up, plain as in chemistry and physics, or more delicate as in psychology or other social science.

The science has become steady, the serious people are easily relating to the science set-ups and the failures are more easily observed after the introduction of HDM. The World is picking up pace, also to the benefit for democracy and various health effects while the excuses are becoming fewer for liars.

(With success all the way from early on in the 80s up to today, 2013. Lea/Olsnes-Lea signing out.)

--------

The Logics is only the Modus Ponens (for success, confirmation of existence) and the Modus Tollens (for failure, the lack of existence). Both types can be set up before the plans are carried out.

Modus Ponens, sententially:
P → Q
P
Q - Conclusion. Confirmation made.

Modus Tollens, sententially:
P → Q
~Q
~P - Conclusion. The lack of existence, broadly.

Some links, 4:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothetico-deductive_model
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_ponens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_tollens

Note: The importance of the experiment is great. So great that if you do it properly you will not see any counter experiments confirmed because what you have proved with it is definite. Thus, seeing "features/laws of nature" become properly expressed is a matter of writing into eternity. Therefore, Confirmation is stronger than what is popularly written because the experiments/discoveries should describe something fundamental.

Otherwise, please see "THE POWER OF A SINGLE SPAN OF TIME - AN INSTANCE - CONTRARY TO HUME ON INDUCTION - THE REFUTATION OF THE PROBLEM OF INDUCTION" by https://whatiswritten777.blogspot.no/2011/08/philosophical-notes-of-intellectual.html#PSST.

4 comments:

  1. The Logics is only the Modus Ponens (for success, confirmation of existence) and the Modus Tollens (for failure, the lack of existence). Both types can be set up before the plans are carried out.

    Modus Ponens, sententially:
    P → Q
    P
    Q - Conclusion. Confirmation made.

    Modus Tollens, sententially:
    P → Q
    ~Q
    ~P - Conclusion. The lack of existence, broadly.

    Some links, 4:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothetico-deductive_model
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_ponens
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_tollens

    (Also corrected type error.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Note: The importance of the experiment is great. So great that if you do it properly you will not see any counter experiments confirmed because what you have proved with it is definite. Thus, seeing "features/laws of nature" become properly expressed is a matter of writing into eternity. Therefore, Confirmation is stronger than what is popularly written because the experiments/discoveries should describe something fundamental.

    ReplyDelete
  3. From the Hauglia days, I would have it: TLE - Thinking, Logic and Experiment from the vocabulary I had available back then, 1983/1984. Now it is, of course, HDM.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A whole lot is proven in science. Some people forget to include Description as part of science. Just think of the Table of Elements in chemistry. It's not proven?

    I think we are also closing in on a ceiling in science, toward the end of possible description, mathematical formulas (describing "by and large" a given phenomenon) and so on.

    Models too add description, reality by a bigger sphere Venn diagram onto a smaller sphere of reality, at least in terms of certain aspects they are supposed to describe.

    ReplyDelete