Scientific Hypothesis

A Scientific Hypothesis is a formal hypothesis that proposes a tentative explanation for a phenomenon or a narrow set of phenomena observed in the natural world.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) be a Testable Hypothesis.
  • It can (typically) be a Falsibiable Hypothesis.
  • It can (often) be formulated as an If...Then Statement (enabling it to be supported or refuted through observation or experimentation).
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • a Biological Scientific Hypothesis, e.g. suggesting a causal relationship between two variables in a biological study,
    • such as: "Increased exposure to sunlight is correlated with decreased rates of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in a population."
  • a Theoretical Physics Hypothesis, e.g. predicting the outcome of a physical experiment based on theoretical physics.
    • * such as: "In a zero-gravity environment, a pendulum will exhibit perpetual motion without external energy input due to the absence of air resistance and gravity."
  • a Chemical Scientific Hypothesis, e.g. proposing a reaction mechanism for a particular chemical process.
    • such as: "Adding catalyst X to chemical compound Y under high-temperature conditions will result in an accelerated reaction and produce a higher yield of the desired product Z."
  • a Climatological Scientific Hypothesis, e.g. predicting the impact of certain atmospheric conditions on climate patterns.
    • such as: "Increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide will lead to a rise in average global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events."
  • a Psychological Scientific Hypothesis, e.g. exploring the relationship between cognitive processes and behavior.
    • such as: "Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is more effective than medication in reducing symptoms of anxiety in adolescents with a generalized anxiety disorder."
  • a Sociological Scientific Hypothesis, e.g. examining social behavior or societal trends.
    • such as: "The prevalence of social media use in adolescents is positively correlated with increased feelings of social isolation."
• Counter-Example(s):
  • ...
• See: Statistical Hypothesis, Testability, Falsifiability, Occam's Razor.

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References

2015

• (Wikipedia, 2015) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hypothesis#Scientific_hypothesis Retrieved:2015-7-10.
  • People refer to a trial solution to a problem as a hypothesis, often called an "educated guess" because it provides a suggested solution based on the evidence. However, some scientists reject the term "educated guess" as incorrect. Experimenters may test and reject several hypotheses before solving the problem. According to Schick and Vaughn, researchers weighing up alternative hypotheses may take into consideration:
    • Testability (compare falsifiability as discussed above)
    • Parsimony (as in the application of “Occam's razor", discouraging the postulation of excessive numbers of entities)
    • Scope – the apparent application of the hypothesis to multiple cases of phenomena
    • Fruitfulness – the prospect that a hypothesis may explain further phenomena in the future
    • Conservatism – the degree of "fit" with existing recognized knowledge-systems.

1968

• (Watson, 1968) ⇒ James Watson. (1968). “The Double Helix.”
  • NOTE: Watson provides a personal account of the discovery of the DNA structure, illustrating the hypothesis-driven nature of scientific discovery. [Published in 1968]【89†

1964

• (Feynman, 1964) ⇒ Richard Feynman. (1964). “The Character of Physical Law.”
  • NOTE: Feynman's insights into the nature of scientific laws and hypotheses make this work a classic in explaining complex scientific concepts. [The series of lectures delivered in 1964 at Cornell University]​``【oaicite:0】``​.

[1963]

• (Feynman, Leighton & Sands, 1963) ⇒ Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, and Matthew Sands. (1963). “The Feynman Lectures on Physics.” In: [Publisher].
  • NOTE: These lectures cover a range of physics topics, offering insights into hypothesis formulation and testing in physics.

1962

• (Kuhn, 1962) ⇒ Thomas Kuhn. (1962). “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.” In: University of Chicago Press.
  • NOTE: Kuhn's groundbreaking work discusses paradigms in scientific research and the nature of scientific revolutions.

1959

• (Popper, 1959) ⇒ Karl Popper. (1959). “The Logic of Scientific Discovery.” In: Basic Books.
  • NOTE: Popper rewrote his book from the 1934 German original, significantly influencing the philosophy of science with his concept of falsifiability.

[1920]

• (Einstein, 1920) ⇒ Albert Einstein. (1920). “Relativity: The Special and the General Theory.” In: Methuen & Co Ltd.
  • NOTE: It presents Einstein's groundbreaking theory of relativity, fundamentally changing the understanding of space, time, and gravity, and exemplifying hypothesis formulation in theoretical physics.

[1925]

• (Fisher, 1925) ⇒ Ronald A. Fisher. (1925). “Statistical Methods for Research Workers.” In: Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.

(* NOTE: Fisher's work establishes foundational methods in statistics for hypothesis testing, experimental design, and analysis of variance, influencing scientific research methodology.

1859

• (Darwin, 1859) ⇒ Charles Darwin. (1859). “On the Origin of Species.” In: John Murray.
  • NOTE: Darwin's hypothesis on natural selection and evolution presented in this book has been a transformative influence in biology. [Published on November 24, 1859, in London by John Murray]​``【oaicite:1】``​.

1687

• (Newton, 1687) ⇒ Isaac Newton. (1687). “Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.”
  • NOTE: Newton's Principia, outlining his laws of motion and law of universal gravitation, is a foundational text in classical mechanics.

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