How does scientific knowledge develop through making observations about the natural world?

Observing and asking questions is fundamental to the process of science. Scientific knowledge is built as people come up with hypotheses and theories, repeatedly check them against observations of the natural world and continue to refine those explanations based on new ideas and observations.

Sometimes, observation involves relatively simple activities that require little preparation, such as observing that a particular bird species always thumps its foot before foraging. At other times, scientific observation is an extremely complex and challenging activity.

Scientific observations can be made directly with our own senses (for example, seeing, hearing, feeling or smelling) or we can extend and refine our basic senses with tools like microscopes, telescopes, radar, radiationsensors and so on. For example, with our own senses, we can observe that a glass of water is hot, but with a thermometer, we can extend this observation.

Scientific knowledge is built as people come up with hypotheses and theories, repeatedly check them against observations of the natural world and continue to refine those explanations based on new ideas and observations.