Question about scientific method

[Jairo]

If I just check two hypotheses to find which one fits better in the available evidence, but don't make any new test, I think I'm not applying the scientific method (at least not all the steps).

Rigorously, can this alone be called science, or is there a better name, like "reason", "logic" or "critical thinking"?

[randombloke]

I think Zombie Feynman said it best; the core of science is that ideas are tested by experiment. I think you are correct that what you have there is instead closer to critical reasoning.

[raven]

I can agree with randombloke. If you only test the hypotheses against the theory, you can, and will, eventually be tripped up by parts of the theory that don't have a 1:1 relationship to reality.