"George Patterson" wrote in message news:bUZGh.483$as.116@trnddc04...
Observation is the single most important tool in the scientific method, and, in
most sciences, it is the only tool. Nearly everything we know about this world
has been learned purely by observation.

The point is that to make a valid observation you HAVE TO prepare
the subject of yout test properly. Without this, you basically confirm
your wishfull thinking...

I suppose you regard the fact that the Earth revolves around
the Sun as "anegdotal evidence or wishfull thinking?"

I suppose you would agree with clerics chasing away Copernicus
for claiming their observation was wrong, and Sun does not
circle the Earth with the whole Universe... :-)))
Everybody who "observes" Sun and stars at night knows that
every celestial body runs around the Earth, the center of Universe :-)

Observation is not everything... you could conclude WRONGLY
from an observation, regardless how long you would observe.