The scientific method, with its emphasis on experiment and reproducibility of data has been the driving force of Western civilization since the 15th century. By the seventh century, this became a standard methodology used to investigate the truth in our theories and started to spread to the East. The idea of ordinary people being able to replicate step by step the work of their predecessors made the method truly remarkable. The pioneer in scientific method, Francis Bacon (January 22, 1561–April 9, 1626) declared:
Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.
After a long incubation period the East adopted the approach to study – though never fully assuming it as their own. They have a love-hate relationship with science. On one hand, they hate it because they are used to accepting theories for centuries based on faith and trust alone. They love it because of its utilitarian value. From papyrus to smart phones, from mud baths to brain scans, we corkscrewed our way to deeper understanding of nature with newer questions and bolder experiments.
Because the method was transplanted into the East rather than being developed natively in the region, it has always seemed unnatural to fully accept the standardization of a Western process.
