Laypersons who's only exposure to science was tenth grade biology class tend to think the rote stepwise procedures of the scientific method is all that science is. That's because your tenth grade biology teacher was not expected or required to give you a more complete education in the body of knowledge the scientific endeavor spans.
Science is more than just the scientific method because it includes the body of knowledge gathered over time and involves multiple, flexible processes, not just the linear, step-by-step method often taught in schools. The scientific method is a foundational tool for scientific inquiry, but actual scientific practice can involve backtracking, adapting the steps, developing models, and other creative approaches to understand the world.
Science relies on certain philosophical assumptions, such as the existence of an external reality and the consistency of natural laws. It can also be limited by a lack of current tools or technology, as seen in attempts to study phenomena that are not yet measurable.
-Google AI