Observation vs Inference
As scientists we are constantly wondering about the world around us. As people experience things around them, they build a basic understanding about the things they interact with. These experiences lead to what we call Prior Knowledge.
Observations are the facts we can claim using our 5 senses or tools. We use these senses to take note of the things around us; the color of the walls, the temperature of the room, and many others. We use our experiences and prior knowledge to make senses out of those observations. It might be hot because the air conditioner is broke or because there 30 bodies producing body heat in the room. (That might be why it smells so bad too. Eeewwwww!)
For instance you probably know not to put your hand into a campfire because as a little kid you were told not to touch the candles on your birthday cake. You might have even had to learn the hard way. OUCH! That was an experience that told you that fire hurts. Our experiences help us to make inferences about the observations we make about the world around us.
