Huxley on the Scientific Method

Yesterday's 3quarksdaily directs readers to a survey, reported in The Guardian, in which 250 scientists were asked, "What is the one thing everyone should learn about science?" The story is a fun read, with some scientists making quite moving and profound statements. Faced with the current assault on science and reason by our administration and its extremist backers, I found reading sensible response after sensible response from my fellow scientists wonderful therapy.

The response from Michael Baum, Emeritus professor of surgery at University College London, refers to one of my favorite quotes from Thomas Henry Huxley ("Darwin's Bulldog"):

"... the great tragedy of Science–the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact"

What an exquisite turn of phrase.