Test ideas by experiment and observation,

build on those ideas that pass the test,

reject the ones that fail.

Follow the evidence wherever it leads

and question everything.

Astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos, 2014

This was part of the opening monologue to the relaunch of the Cosmos television series. It provides a nice interpretation of the scientific method, but also fits perfectly with one of my new roles as software tester. Neil finishes this statement with

Accept these terms and the cosmos is yours. Now come with me.

It could be said, “Accept these terms and success in software testing is yours.” What I have learned so far about software testing falls firmly in line with the scientific method. I know software testing isn’t as vast as exploring billions of galaxies, but with millions of different pathway through a computer program, software testing still requires similar rigor as any scientific exploration.