Some simple ideas that seem to me to underlie science

Over the years I have talked with many scientists and read what many others have written.  When I have had the chance I have asked them if there are any ideas that are so basic that scientists use them without necessarily thinking about them as part of the process of science.
 

Causality
    Things happen for understandable reasons
          Even the quantum realm has rules

Measurement
    If it can't be measured its not good science
    You need a scale of Space, Time, Mass, Response
          or whatever it is that you are studying

Categorization
    Recognizing Same and Different 
           In Concepts and Events as well as physical items
    Sorting
    Naming

Mathematics
    Logic and Sets
    Algebra and Geometry
    Calculus (All Types)
    Modern Math
    Games
    Statistics, Probability 
    Chaos 

Models
    Mental 
    Physical 
    Mathematical
    Analogy
 


Successive Approximation
    Iteration
    Make a guess, Improve it, Refine it again
    Use it to solve problems

Open Mindedness
    Open to new ideas
    New ways of examining old ideas
    Skepticism

Closed Mindedness
    Skepticism
    The physical world 

Repeatability
    If it doesn't work the same way twice it isn't good science
    Testable, Verifiable

Know Your Tools
    Understand how they work
    Recognize Their Limitations

Communication
    Tell, your understanding of the way things work
    Listen,  try to understand the way others see the idea
 

They also find that it is fun to discover how the universe or any small part of it works

As I get the time I plan to expand/explain what some of the ideas above mean to me.  When I do I will provide links from this page.

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