When discussing science, the general public typically thinks of a process described in many elementary school classrooms, that of a well ordered and established sequence of events. A question, hypothesis, experiment and conclusion all done according to a recipe almost.
In fact, when thinking about similarities between music and science, it can seem that science resembles classical music in some way. A set of “notes” clearly set out which are performed by the practitioner. In each performance something new may be found, just as in classical musical new emotional connections can be found in each performance. But ultimately, the way is laid out in a predictable way.
However, in most cases science is not done that way at all. Instead, from a simple question of “I wonder?” comes a free-flowing set of assumptions, experiments and, instead of obvious conclusions, more questions that lead on a path which has a theme but not necessarily a clear destination. In that way, when looking for a musical analog to science, it is more appropriate to think of Jazz.