Hypothesis Testing_Approaching_02

If we traveled to another planet circling a distant star and dropped something, it might not fall toward the ground. In that case, we would have to reject our hypothesis. From this rejection of our hypothesis (or being wrong), we can learn a lot about how the universe works. In the case of hypotheses, they can either be supported or rejected (proved wrong). That is certainly all right, because it is how we learn about the world. This is one of the many reasons why Science is so important. We can be wrong and still learn from our mistakes. How awesome is that! To be clear, scientists have to have the possibility of being wrong. If not, it is a poor hypothesis.

In summary, a hypothesis is a statement (rule) that can be tested. You can think of a hypothesis as a prediction. Simply put, what do you think will happen based on your experience? A hypothesis can have only two outcomes; it can either be supported or rejected. A hypothesis must also be testable and falsifiable.