The six principles of scientific thinking allow us to determine whether something can be considered scientifically relevant or not. The principles are:.
1. ruling out rival hypothesis.
2. correlation versus causation.
3. falsifiability.
4. replicability.
5. extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary evidence,.
6. Occam's Razor.
Ruling out rival hypothesis allows us to exclude other plausible explanations for findings. Correlation versus causation has us assuming that because one thing is associated with another, it causes the other. Falsifiability involves that to have a claim be meaningful it must be capable of being disapproved. Replicability shows that a study's findings can be duplicated in other studies consistently. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, this means that the more a claim contradicts what we already know, and the more persuasive the evidence for this claim must be before we can accept it. Finally, Occam's Razor suggests that if two explanations account equally well for a phenomenon, we should select the simpler one. .
These principles allow us to reach educated decisions about various things in the scientific world, and also in our daily life. For example, we use the correlation vs. causation principle when saying, "the beach is packed because it is sunny " because it is saying that one thing causes another. We could also say this relates to ruling out rival hypothesis because an alternate explanation could be because it is a weekend. Therefore fewer people have to work. These principles can also be found in many ways in our daily lives, such as on the Internet, in newspaper articles, in television and also in magazines. These principles help us understand our daily life and things that are directed towards us in the media. .
The article detailing the autopsy of an SIU student uses the Extra principle claims require extraordinary evidence to allow us to believe one theory as to what happened to the student.
