The Knowledge Machine: How Irrationality Created Modern Science

by Michael Strevens

the iron rule of explanation. What the rule says is simple enough: it directs scientists to resolve their differences of opinion by conducting empirical tests rather than by shouting or fighting or philosophizing or moralizing or marrying or calling on a higher power.

Iron rule

The iron rule shows them how to go on arguing, how to build a second scientific act around their disagreement, by improvising a series of experimental scenes—that is, by conducting a succession of empirical tests.