God The Failed Hypothesis. How Science

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Scientific inquiry requires students to use higher order thinking achievements as they learn science using a hands-on minds-on approach. Inquiry’s foundation has it is origins in John Dewey’s book Democracy in Education (1916). In this book he describes how true learning begins with the curiosity of learners.

Defining Scientific Inquiry

His exploration found that student curiosity and involvement real science investigations moves students from passive learners to active learners. This is evidenced when students:

  • ask questions for the duration of an investigation
  • design their own investigations
  • conduct investigations using their design
  • formulate explanations of findings
  • present their findings
  • reflect upon their findings

Scientific inquiry causes a rudimentary alter in science education, moving it away from established instructing exercises of lecture and formally presenting something to a collaborative kinship amidst teacher and student. In these collaborative environments, students take risks without fear of ridicule and start out to think when it comes to science. Teachers become facilitators of their student’s inquiry by:

  • modeling and immersing their students in scientific inquiry
  • ask guiding questions which provoke thought and reflection
  • allow student ability to create in experimental design
  • allow students to discover experiments may be successful, yet fail to answer the initial question being investigated

Initial confusedness by students analyzing experimental determinations is not necessary bad, because they are using critical thinking processes. Confusion is good in this setting, because it demonstrates students are attempting to determine why they did not find the typical canned answer. Also, a hypothesis may in truth result in a non-support statement as a result of the experiment.

Too many times students investigate canned labs which result in a guided hypothesis which may only result in supported finding. This leads them to feel when their experiment does not help their hypothesis they failed. They have not failed, nevertheless they do not recognise this in established science teaching.

Scientific Inquiry Involves Asking Questions

Student success designing experiments is based on asking the right questions. They need to formulate questions which do not lead to yes/no or true/false answers, because the best questions are open-ended and inquiry-based. As students make an analyzation of proof to explain findings, open-ended questions provide the answers they need to construct significant explanations.

Answering questions in a student’s own words is crucial for higher level of thinking and knowledge. A student’s own words disclose level of understanding and disclose incorrect conceptions based on prior cognition and experiences.

Impact of Using Scientific Inquiry

When students make personal connections when using scientific inquiry, internalization of the new cognition takes place. The key traits of scientific inquiry-based instructing and learning result in students:

  • learning how to design research
  • learning how to ask questions
  • internalizing new knowledge
  • realizing conclusions depend on experimental design
  • increasing their level of understanding of science
  • learning to investigate like scientists


Review”I learned an enormous amount from this splendid book.” — Richard Dawkins, Author of the New York Times bestseller The God Delusion

“Extremely tough and impressive…a outstanding book…a huge addition to the arsenal of argument.” — Christopher Hitchens, Author of the New York Times bestseller God Is Not Great

“Marshalling converging arguments from physics, astronomy, biology, and philosophy, Stenger has delivered a masterful blow in defense of reason. God: The Failed Hypothesis is a potent, readable, and well-timed assault upon religious delusion. It will have to be widely read.” — Sam Harris, Author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation

About the AuthorVictor Stenger (Lafayette, CO) is adjunct professor of system of belief at the University of Colorado and professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at the University of Hawaii. He is the author of Has Science Found God?, The Comprehensible Cosmos, Timeless Reality, The Unconscious Quantum, Physics and Psychics, and Not by Design.

250 of 271 people found the following review helpful.
5Highly recommended
By Andrew
This is an outstanding book. Victor Stenger, a Professor of both Physics and Astronomy, convincingly argues against the existence of God (by which he means the Judea-Christian-Islamic version) by examining a wide variety of scientific evidence. In my view Stenger succeeds in disproving God beyond a level of reasonable doubt. Certain high profile atheists (Richard Dawkins and Same Harris, to name but two) have already written bestsellers on this subject, and I would evaluate Stenger’s work as one that fully deserves the same level of success and recognition.

The structure of the book is roughly as follows:

In the first chapter, Stenger lucidly explains the scientific method and what makes it such a potent investigative tool. This is important because many people have no real understanding of these concepts. He also refutes the widely held (at least, by religious people) view that science has nothing to say about religion. This is a very important point, which sets the foundation for the rest of the book.
Stenger also deals with another common misconception, which is that scientists are somehow opposed to, or in denial of the discovery of any supernatural forces, whether religious, psychic, or anything else which violates the natural laws as they are currently understood. In reality the only reason why most scientists do not acknowledge the evidence of such things is because the evidence does not exist.

In the remainder of the book, Stenger goes on to assess the objective evidence for and against the God hypothesis by investigating a plethora of scientific and historical research. He covers everything from biblical prophecies to the illusion of design to prayer experiments and much more. All of this research could very well have produced compelling evidence for God, but none of it has. Stenger logically concludes that the evidence looks exactly the way we would expect it to look in the absence of God.
As a mild criticism, I found that certain topics could have been covered in a bit more detail. On the other hand, some of these issues could easily form the subject of entire books, and so it would have been almost impossible to discuss them in full detail within just a single chapter. Overall I think the author has penetrated to the heart of most of the important issues, and there are plenty of references for those who which to carry out further reading.

Chapters 4 and 5 (entitled Cosmic Evidence and The Uncongenial Universe) deserve a special mention. These two chapters are the undisputed gems of the book, in my opinion. Perhaps this is not so surprising given Stenger’s expertise in physics and astronomy. For me personally, the knowledge I gained from these two chapters was easily worth the price of book by itself, and it was an absolute joy to have my eyes opened to some of the mind-boggling secrets of the universe that have been yielded by the investigative efforts of physicists and astronomers. Things do get a little hard to follow at times, but this is pretty much unavoidable for such a complex subject, and overall I think that Stenger does a great job of making it understandable to the lay reader. I won’t give too much away, but rest assured that pro-god arguments like “how can something come from nothing?” (with reference to the ‘big bang’) and “how do you explain the fine-tuning of the universe” are comprehensively dismantled.

To conclude, I would strongly recommend this book for:
- Atheists wishing to learn about how science can be used to disprove God beyond a reasonable doubt.
- People who are vaguely religious/agnostic who wish to learn about the objective evidence for and against a supreme being.
- Religious people who:
a) wish to strengthen their faith by familiarising themselves with arguments for the opposing viewpoint, and/or
b) are brave enough to admit that they could be wrong, and wish to assess the objective evidence for and against God.

In a nutshell, I think that Victor Stenger has done a wonderful job with this book. I have no hesitation in awarding it five stars – with six stars for chapters 4 and 5!

151 of 171 people found the following review helpful.
5A “Designing” and “Intervening” God isn’t there
By Thomas Adam L.
Having just finished the book moments ago, I was left with the distinct impression that I liked it better than almost any other non-fiction book that I have read lately.

One thing that I liked immensely about “God: The Failed Hypothesis” was its focus on science and showing that it is by far the best way to know the universe, not necessarily the only way, but indeed the best and most accurate method available to human beings to learning about life and all of its mysteries.

Preceding my reading of “G:TFH,” I had just finished “Atheist Universe” by David Mills and while I agreed with almost everything he had to say, that book left me with an ambiguous feeling towards its merit. Not so the case with Stenger’s book; it could almost be called uplifting.

As a former evangelical, who has studied almost every religion at least in a cursory manner, I am convinced that a personal, religiously affiliated, or intervening god does not exist and is a mere psychological projection. However, I had still remained somewhat agnostic toward the concept of a deistic god. Stenger shows that modern physics can indeed answer such seemingly hard questions as “Why is there something rather than nothing?” rather convincingly. This book weakened my position of agnostic deism from “maybe” to “probably not” because complete naturalism seems to be the best and most likely explanation.

111 of 127 people found the following review helpful.
5Fifty Year Wait Is Over
By Jerry P. Lightner
Victor J. Stenger’s God: The Failed Hypothesis deserves to be read by believers and non-believers alike. Fifty years ago, upon completion of my formal study in the sciences, I concluded that God could not exist. With each passing decade, as the scientific method enabled man to advance his knowledge and understanding of the world and universe, this conviction grew stronger. Unfortunately I was never able to adequately explain to others why I felt as I did.

And then I picked up God: The Failed Hypothesis. I could not put it down; indeed I read it cover to cover within hours of purchase. Here was everything I wanted to say to individuals who were ignorant of rigorous science methodology, or scorned it, and relied solely upon faith and revelation.

I have never taken to task people with faith; that is their prerogative. But I always felt inadequate when articulating my own opposite point of view. And how I find meaning and beauty in the arts and nature from within myself, independent of some mystical or religious basis. Furthermore, I see no need for immortality; once around will suffice. So read Stenger’s book; I promise you’re in for an emotional experience!

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