Hypotheses
A hypothesis (from Greek ὑπόθεσις) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose." For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it. Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous observations that cannot satisfactorily be explained with the available scientific theories. Even though the words "hypothesis" and "theory" are often used synonymously in common and informal usage, a scientific hypothesis is not the same as a scientific theory. A working hypothesis is a provisionally accepted hypothesis.
Scientific hypothesis: 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. 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 (or falsifiability;the claim "No human lives forever" is not falsifiable since it does not seem possible to prove wrong.On the other hand, "All humans live forever" is falsifiable since the presentation of just one dead human could prove the statement wrong)
Simplicity (as in the application of "Occam's razor",a principle that generally recommends selecting the competing hypothesis that makes the fewest new assumptions, when the hypotheses are equal in other respects
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.
Scientific hypothesis: 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. 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 (or falsifiability;the claim "No human lives forever" is not falsifiable since it does not seem possible to prove wrong.On the other hand, "All humans live forever" is falsifiable since the presentation of just one dead human could prove the statement wrong)
Simplicity (as in the application of "Occam's razor",a principle that generally recommends selecting the competing hypothesis that makes the fewest new assumptions, when the hypotheses are equal in other respects
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.