Dan Fletcher

Most scientists are passionate about what they do. But when deciding on what is true or not, passion has to take a back seat to the fundamental process of scientific discovery - the scientific method. In grade school, I was taught the scientific method like one might explain the steps of a formal dance: first form a hypothesis, second test the hypothesis, third revise the hypothesis, and so on. Sounds pretty boring. In reality, pursuing a deep understanding of the world through scientific discovery is often far from measured and elegant. Experiments are done on a hunch. Inspiration strikes in the shower. Experiments don't quite confirm or disprove a hypothesis, or published data doesn't fit with your favorite interpretation. So what is really true? In this talk, I will describe my experience with the scientific method as a researcher, teacher, and every day citizen. A key point I hope to convey is that the scientific method is a way of understanding the world that is not restricted to the laboratory but can be useful from the halls of Congress to the door of your kitchen. And as important as it is to know when the scientific method is needed, one must also know when it is not.