scientific experiments

[steveb]

im not quite sure how to word this, but when was the first experiment carried out roughly. where the experimentor set out a hypothesis and then tried to prove it?

[Clanad]

Something akin to the first person that thought to himself (herself?) "If I squeeze that cow's udder and drink the stuff that comes out, will it kill me?"... Deffinitely used the concept of falsifyability to verify the theroem...

[shammydodger]

I remember seeing something akin to this question on one of those "What the ...... Did For Us" presented by Adam Hart-Davis. His candidate was Francis Bacon (1561-1626).

[jake-the-peg]

I think Roger Bacon (b1215?) is probably my best candidate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bacon

He did a lot of early experiments especially with gunpowder (and got in a lot of trouble)

There may be better arab candidates but I'm not well acquainted with them.

There are also a number of possibles from the ancient world depending on how strict your criteria is or you might like to insist on Rene Descartes if you want to actually see the scientific method written down:

http://www.answers.com/topic/history-of-scientific-method

[Loosehead]

Generally scientists set out a hypothesis and try to disprove it. This is because when they eventually publish, every other scientist will try to disprove it. Scentists are a brutal bunch when it comes to trying to prove each other wrong.

[Peter Pedant]

In terms of the experiment, I think you are right it is Francis Bacon and the frozen chicken

He caught a cold and died from it, I recollect Professor Potty's prog on this.

This is the basis of English seventeenth century scientific thought

The French kinda did it differently and sstarted with hypothesis generation - speculation - and then went out and collected evidence to support the hypothesis.

Baconian induction you collect the facts first,and then think

In terms of - any science proposition has to be falsifiable, neither the Frogs or the English in the 1600s were concerned with this and it is usually ascribed to Popper 20th cent

Popper is one effort to get over Hume's refutation of induction - Hume said, whatever makes you think that by collectinng data you can conclude things from it ?

You now have the important points for an essay in eighteenth century scientific thought. Bythe 1800s we had come quite far from one man squeezing an udder and saying oh I wonder if I can get milk from this......

Cow herdinng probably started in Catal huyuk in 6000 BC bythe way.....

[shammydodger]

Peter

Pedantry worthy of the epithet. I congratulate you, sir! And thank you for the support!