Thanks for that Stuart,

Thanks for that Stuart, but this comment of Chomsky’s not only seems somewhat vague, it doesn’t appear to resemble the many and varied methods scientists have in fact used since at least the 17th century.
Moreover, it’s not even what Chomsky himself does — his work in Linguistics is largely a priori, and was constructed in abeyance of any evidence. He has since then operated without an ‘open mind’ (as the interview in last week’s New Scientist further confirms).
Finally, it’s important to distinguish any methods scientists might use from a philosophical theory about science.