[Phys-l] hypothesis testing +- real science

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 05/14/2009 08:40 AM, Hugh Haskell wrote:

> .... I think that the capture of science education by the crowd that 
> insists that *every* experiment must be one where a stated hypothesis 
> is tested have distorted students' views of what science is, and have 
> led to some very tortured experimental designs in science fairs and 
> other competitions.

Amen, brother.

I have no idea where this is hypothesis testing cult is coming 
from.  I've heard teachers say that strict hypothesis testing is 
required by the rules of the science fair, when in fact I have 
never been able to find any such requirement in current ISEF 
documents, and a friend of mine who has been deeply involved for 
years says it has never ever been there.

Every so often I try to de-emphasize hypothesis testing in the
wikipedia article on "Scientific method" but my edits get promptly 
reverted.

Evidently the hypothesis testing cult is being passed down from
generation to generation, but I don't know how or why.

In case anybody is wondering where I'm coming from, see
  http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm