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Comments on the Scientific Method (
From "A Student's Guide to Cold Fusion", Edmund Storms)
Science has been successful because
certain rules of evidence were adopted centuries ago, the so-called
Scientific Method. These rules require that many people using different
devices duplicate all novel observations. Such replications reduce the
human tendency to deceive and to be deceived. In addition, the behavior
observed in these various studies must show similar patterns, i.e.
important variables must have the same effect in all studies, regardless
of the equipment used. Having an explanation for the strange behavior is
NOT initially necessary, although eventual discovery of an explanation
is important. This is a good method and has served mankind well when it
is faithfully applied. Science fails when these rules are ignored. They
can be ignored several different ways, the most obvious being premature
acceptance. Some scientists think this rule so important that they base
their careers on protecting Science from such a violation. A less
obvious problem occurs when repeated replications are ignored because a
scientist does not WANT to believe a result that conflicts with a
favorite theory. Initially, cold fusion was rejected for the former
reason. Now rejection is based on the latter. The first rejection was
valid and consistent with the Scientific Method. The present rejection
is not.
Skepticism, when carried to extreme, is as damaging as naive acceptance.
At the present time, many people respect the skeptic for guarding the
high ideals of science. In fact, skeptics frequently stop important
progress, stifle originally, and turn creative people away from science
altogether. Although many examples of this injury can be cited from the
past and especially from the present time, this rejection of cold fusion
is particularly egregious because of its vehement nature and the
importance of the discovery. I ask you, the reader, to use good judgment
and a responsible attitude in evaluating the incredible claims described
by papers about cold fusion. Remember that new and strange claims do not
have to be blindly accepted or blindly rejected, just explored with an
open mind. Important new ideas almost always conflict with conventional
understanding, so such conflict should not be used as a basis for
outright rejection, before the possibilities have been carefully
examined. |
