The rules of science, sounds a bit like agile
In his recent continuation of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series, Neil deGrasse Tyson laid out the the rules of science:
- test ideas by experiment and observation
- build on those ideas that pass the test, reject the ones that fail
- follow the evidence wherever it leads
- and question everything
“To make this journey we’ll need imagination, but imagination alone is not enough because the reality of nature is far more wondrous than anything we can imagine. This adventure is made possible by generations of searchers strictly adhering to a simple set of rules. Test ideas by experiment and observation, build on those ideas that pass the test, reject the ones that fail. Follow the evidence wherever it leads and question everything. Accept these terms, and the cosmos is yours.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson
Agile, in simple terms, is about learning fast by having assumptions and testing them, incorporating data and user research into that loop, being adaptable to change, and it being ok to be wrong.
Originally published at Josh Russell.
