Scientific hypothesis

We all may be very familiar with a scientific hypothesis. Some may even think of it as a guess but a scientific hypothesis has a more precise definition. A scientific hypothesis is an explanation about natural phenomenon in the world. There are several distinct features within a hypothesis:

1. It must be falsifiable -  Scientific tests must be done in order to prove it's validity. A hypothesis can be tested but if it's not falsifiable, it's not scientific. Take the hypothesis "There are U.F.O's with aliens among us." We can capture them and use tools to study them, proving them to exist. This can only be proven right but it cannot be proven wrong as the possibility that there are U.F.O's still stands.

2. It must be testable - Scientific hypothesis follow an "if-then" statement with the idea being able to be proven right or wrong depending on the evidence or observation.

3. It must lead to more knowledge - A hypothesis must be able to explain further phenomenon in the future.

Coming up with a scientific hypothesis is like coming up with a poem. It requires a wild imagination and creativity. As Einstein once said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Take a moment and write down a list of questions, observations, and comments you have about the natural world. Be wild and free with your ideas so that you can test them later on. Scientists base their hypotheses on what is already scientifically known. Simple hypotheses are preferred among the scientific community.

 Hypotheses are either accepted or rejected based on evidence. But because hypotheses can be wrong, they can still be rejected later when new evidence arrives. In some cases, scientists simply reform the hypothesis according to new information. Here, hypotheses are not wrong, simply incomplete without the latest information.

Now what if two different hypotheses are supported? Scientists generally pick the simpler one.

Scientific hypotheses are an essential part of the scientific method. Scientific hypotheses help us better understand the world through models that we build. Those that are supported further our knowledge and those that aren't still give us insight into what is uncertain or wrong.