Introduction

Abstract

It is rarely that scientific discoveries are made in isolation. That is to say, there is a collective scientific consciousness that carries forward a train of curiosity directed to the understanding of natural phenomena. Discovery in science is the result of asking questions that arise out of hypotheses. Hypotheses are, by and large, very cheap. Anyone can produce them. A competent scientist will, however, choose a fairly limited set of hypotheses that can be tested by available experimental technology. A brilliant investigator will be distinguished by the ability to frame a wide-reaching hypothesis that, when confirmed as true, will explain many natural phenomena. Einstein's special theory of relativity and Pasteur's observations on optical isomerism were cases in point.