sci.physics.electromag

Dave wrote:

> anyone can collect data. just collecting data doesn't mean that the
> equipment being used or the test setup is even appropriate to measure the
> data you want. i have seen experimental setups that produced lots of data,
> but none of it useful. and 'facts' are even worse, they are often just what
> the experimenter was looking to prove in the first place. having one person
> or group propose a theory and then make measurements that prove it is rarely
> a good thing. the better approach is to present a theory, make some
> measurable predictions based on it that are not also predicted by other
> existing theories... then have some independent group review the theory,
> design a test meant to separate the prediction based on that theory from
> other effects, and then have a couple groups actually do the tests and
> independently verify the results. without rigorous proceedures it is very
> easy to measure something, see the results you want, and ignore flaws in the
> test setup that someone else would see as a glaring error.
>
>

Dave, I would just add that in science and engineering a "theory" is
something that has already been established by the methods you refer to
above such as when we speak of "electromagnetic theory" or "the theory
of special relativity." Before that we have an "hypothesis". Sincerely,