Final answer:
The durability of scientific knowledge relies on empirical investigation, which includes hypothesis formation, controlled experiments, and reproducible data summarized into laws. Measurements must be valid, and duration is a quantitative continuous type of data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The durability of scientific knowledge depends on empirical investigation. This means that scientific knowledge is reliable because it is based on objective, tangible evidence that can be observed repeatedly, regardless of who is observing. Empirical investigations involve forming a hypothesis, conducting experiments, and analyzing data to test the validity of the hypothesis. Experiments must have controlled conditions, allowing for the manipulation of a single variable to determine whether the original hypothesis is valid or not. Once experimental data are reproducible enough, they may be summarized in a scientific law, which describes a phenomenon and allows for general predictions without addressing the 'why' behind it.
A measurement is considered valid if it actually measures what it is supposed to. Duration, or the amount of time something lasts, is a type of quantitative continuous data, as it can be measured in units that form a continuum. Knowing these attributes of scientific research can help dispel misconceptions such as believing hypotheses can be proved scientifically even if they are not testable, which is not true.
Scientific research can potentially be purely theoretical, generating knowledge with no immediate practical use. However, it remains grounded in empirical methods with the goal of advancing our understanding of the natural world.