An example of analogical thinking in science:
"Any facts which can elucidate the rate at which corals can grow under favourable circumstances, will ever be interesting: nor should negative facts, showing that within a given period reefs have not increased either laterally or vertically upwards, be neglected. In a full-grown forest, to judge of its rate of growth, a part must be first cut down; so is it probably with reefs of corals. The aborigines of some of the many coral islands in the great oceans might perhaps adduce positive facts on this head; for instance, the date might be known when a channel had been cut to float out a large canoe, and which had since grown up."
Charles Darwin (1849) Section VI: Geology. In Herschel, J. F. W. ed., A manual of scientific enquiry; prepared for the use of Her Majesty's Navy: and adapted for travellers in general. London: John Murray.
Here Darwin is not using analogy to explain a scientific idea, but rather to form a scientific hypothesis.
Read examples of scientific analogies
Many examples of science analogies are listed in 'Creative comparisons: Making science familiar through language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.
