1. What do you think science is all about?
Answer:
2. What do you think scientists do? How do they achieve the goals of science?
Answer: Many people consider think that scientist is similar (not same) to detectives. But in my viewpoint, a better word is “Satyanweshi ” i.e. “The Truth Seeker”. Moreover, a scientist has to examine everything from the critical point of view. Scientist achieves their goal by using scientific methods which includes:
Observation – seeing, hearing, touching…
Asking a question – why or how?
Hypothesis – a fancy name for an educated guess about what causes something to happen.
Prediction – what you think will happen if…
Testing – this is where you get to experiment and be creative.
Conclusion – decide how your test results relate to your predictions.
Communicate – share your results so others can learn from your work and verify your work.
The elements of the scientific method can be used by anyone to help answer questions. Even though these elements can be used in an ordered manner, they do not have to follow the same order. It is better to think of the scientific method as a fluid process that can take different paths depending on the situation. Just be sure to incorporate all of the elements when seeking unbiased answers.
3. Do you think scientists ask questions? What sorts of questions do you think scientists ask? IF NO, go to Question 5.
Answer: Yes, Scientist asks questions. The scientist asks all sorts of questions, sometimes wired ones also. It involves a wide variety of questions. Few examples are given below:
1. Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment, sometimes described as a paradox, devised by Erwin Schrödinger. It illustrates what he saw as the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects. The scenario presents a cat that may be simultaneously both alive and dead, a state known as a quantum superposition, as a result of being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur.
2. Dr. Ian Stevenson (University of Virginia School of Medicine) asked question about reincarnation.
4. How do scientists answer their questions? Can you give an example of a scientist’s question and what he or she would do to answer it?
Answer: Different types of scientist used different elements of the scientific method. Biologist, Theoretical physicist and experimental physicist use different approaches. Elements such as Observation, Hypothesis, Prediction remains same but Testing methods vary as per resources available for experiment, nature of problems. Sometimes thought experiments such as “Schrödinger's cat” are the only way forward.
Example: All the galaxies we can see are rotating. A significant discrepancy exists between the observed speed of galaxy rotation and a speed of galaxy rotation from theory. Why?????
If our galaxy contained just the matter we can see – planets, gas, etc – the galaxy rotation should cause it to spin apart. The galaxy rotation problem is the discrepancy between observed galaxy rotation curves and the theoretical prediction, assuming a centrally dominated mass associated with the observed luminous material. When mass profiles of galaxies are calculated from the distribution of stars in spirals and mass-to-light ratios in the stellar disks, they do not match with the masses derived from the observed rotation curves and the law of gravity.
The theory of dark matter was postulated to account for this difference. We know (with the help of mathematical simulations) there should be more Mass in a galaxy so that gravity can counter outward push of centrifugal force.
Three ways of Answers to this paradox:
1. Theoretical simulations: We simulate our universe on basis known laws of physics and generate results which shows the distribution of dark matter in the universe according to our best cosmological models. A sophisticated numerical computer model can track nearly 1010 dark matter particles interacting under the influence of gravity from the beginning of the universe until the present.
2. Indirect detection experiments search for the products of the self-annihilation or decay of dark matter particles in outer space. For example, in regions of high dark matter density (e.g. the center of our galaxy) two dark matter particles could annihilate to produce gamma rays or Standard Model particle-antiparticle pairs. Alternatively, if the dark matter particle is unstable, it could decay into standard model (or other) particles. These processes could be detected indirectly through an excess of gamma rays, antiprotons or positrons emanating from high-density regions in our galaxy or others. A few of the dark matter particles passing through the Sun or Earth may scatter off atoms and lose energy. Thus dark matter may accumulate at the center of these bodies, increasing the chance of collision/annihilation. This could produce a distinctive signal in the form of high-energy neutrinos. Such a signal would be strong indirect proof of Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP) dark matter. High-energy neutrino telescopes are used for such detection.
3. Making Dark Matter in Hadron Collider (particle accelerators), some scientist are trying to produce dark matter particles at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). If they were created at the LHC, they would escape through the detectors unnoticed. However, they would carry away energy and momentum, so physicists could infer their existence from the amount of energy and momentum “missing” after a collision.
5. What is an experiment?
Answer: An experiment is a procedure carried out to support, refute, or validate a hypothesis. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a particular factor is manipulated. Experiments vary greatly in goal and scale but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results. There also exists natural experimental studies.
In the scientific method, an experiment is an empirical procedure that arbitrates competing models or hypotheses. Researchers also use experimentation to test existing theories or new hypotheses to support or disprove them.
6. Why do scientists do experiments? IF ‘‘to test ideas’’ THEN: How does the test tell the scientist something about the idea?
Answer: An experiment usually tests a hypothesis, which is an expectation about how a particular process or phenomenon works. However, an experiment may also aim to answer a "what-if" question, without a specific expectation about what the experiment reveals, or to confirm prior results. If an experiment is carefully conducted, the results usually either support or disprove the hypothesis. According to some philosophies of science, an experiment can never "prove" a hypothesis (idea), it can only add support. On the other hand, an experiment that provides a counterexample can disprove a theory or hypothesis (idea).
7. How does a scientist decide what experiment to do?
Answer: Francis Bacon (1561–1626), a philosopher and scientist disagreed with the method of answering scientific questions by deduction and described it as follows: "Having first determined the question according to his will, man then resorts to experience, and bending her to conformity with his placets, leads her about like a captive in a procession." Bacon wanted a method that relied on repeatable observations or experiments. Notably, he first ordered the scientific method as we understand it today.
There are various differences in experimental practice in each of the branches of science. For example,
1. Agricultural research frequently uses randomized experiments (e.g., to test the comparative effectiveness of different fertilizers), while
2. Experimental economics often involves experimental tests of theorized human behaviors without relying on random assignment of individuals to treatment and control conditions.
3. In engineering and the physical sciences, experiments are a primary component of the scientific method. They are used to test theories and hypotheses about how physical processes work under particular conditions (e.g., whether a particular engineering process can produce the desired chemical compound). Typically, experiments in these fields focus on replication of identical procedures in hopes of producing identical results in each replication. Random assignment is uncommon.
4. In medicine and the social sciences, the prevalence of experimental research varies widely across disciplines. When used, however, experiments typically follow the form of the clinical trial, where experimental units (usually individual human beings) are randomly assigned to a treatment or control condition where one or more outcomes are assessed. In contrast to norms in the physical sciences, the focus is typically on the average treatment effect (the difference in outcomes between the treatment and control groups) or another test statistic produced by the experiment. A single study typically does not involve replications of the experiment, but separate studies may be aggregated through systematic review and meta-analysis.
5. In some disciplines (e.g., psychology or political science), a 'true experiment' is a method of social research in which there are two kinds of variables. The independent variable is manipulated by the experimenter, and the dependent variable is measured. The signifying characteristic of a true experiment is that it randomly allocates the subjects to neutralize experimenter bias, and ensures, over a large number of iterations of the experiment, that it controls for all confounding factors.
8. What is a hypothesis? Do you think a hypothesis is the same as a guess or do you think there is a difference? What is the difference?
Answer: The adjective hypothetical, meaning "having the nature of a hypothesis", or "being assumed to exist as an immediate consequence of a hypothesis", can refer to any of these meanings of the term "hypothesis". A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it. Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous observations that cannot satisfactorily be explained with the available scientific theories. Even though the words "hypothesis" and "theory" are often used synonymously, a scientific hypothesis is not the same as a scientific theory. A working hypothesis is a provisionally accepted hypothesis proposed for further research.
A hypothesis is a suggested solution for an unexplained occurrence that does not fit into the current accepted scientific theory. The basic idea of a hypothesis is that there is no pre-determined outcome. For a hypothesis to be termed a scientific hypothesis, it has to be something that can be supported or refuted through carefully crafted experimentation or observation. This is called falsifiability and testability, an idea that was advanced in the mid-20th century a British philosopher named Karl Popper.
People refer to a trial solution to a problem as a hypothesis often called an "educated guess" because it provides a suggested solution based on the evidence. However, some scientists reject the term "educated guess" as incorrect. Experimenters may test and reject several hypotheses before solving the problem.
9. Do you think a scientist’s ideas influence the experiments he or she does? IF YES: How? IF NO: Do scientists ever test their ideas?
Answer: No, It should not because it may cause observational bias. Yes, Scientist always tests their ideas.
10. What is a theory? Do you think scientists have theories?
Answer: A scientific theory is an explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can be repeatedly tested, in accordance with the scientific method, using a predefined protocol of observation and experiment. Established scientific theories have withstood rigorous scrutiny and embody scientific knowledge. Scientific theories are testable and make falsifiable predictions. They describe the causes of a particular natural phenomenon and are used to explain and predict aspects of the physical universe or specific areas of inquiry (for example, electricity, chemistry, and astronomy). Yes, Scientists have theories. They use theories to further scientific knowledge, as well as to facilitate advances in technology or medicine. As with other forms of scientific knowledge, scientific theories are both deductive and inductive, aiming for predictive and explanatory power.
11. Do you think a scientist’s theory influences his or her ideas about specific experiments? How?
Answer: Yes, Sometimes it happens scientist are also humans. But In science such influences may lead to wrong understanding or wrong interpretation of an experiment. One such example is Linus Pauling, (only person ever to win two unshared Nobel prizes). He received these awards for chemistry in 1954 and for peace in 1962. He contributed greatly to the development of chemical theories. His impact on the health marketplace, however, was anything but laudable. Pauling is largely responsible for the widespread misbelief that high doses of vitamin C are effective against colds and other illnesses. In 1968, he postulated that people's needs for vitamins and other nutrients vary markedly and that to maintain good health, many people need amounts of nutrients much greater than the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). And he speculated that megadoses of certain vitamins and minerals might well be the treatment of choice for some forms of mental illness. He termed this approach "orthomolecular," meaning "right molecule." No responsible medical or nutrition scientists share these views. Scientific fact is established when the same experiment is carried out over and over again with the same results. To test the effect of vitamin C on colds, it is necessary to compare groups which get the vitamin to similar groups which get a placebo (a dummy pill which looks like the real thing). Since the common cold is a very variable illness, proper tests must involve hundreds of people for significantly long periods of time. At least 16 well-designed, double-blind studies have shown that supplementation with vitamin C does not prevent colds and at best may slightly reduce the symptoms of a cold. Slight symptom reduction may occur as the result of an antihistamine-like effect, but whether this has practical value is a matter of dispute. Pauling's views are based on the same studies considered by other scientists, but his analyses are flawed. In 1976, Pauling and Dr. Ewan Cameron, a Scottish physician, reported that a majority of one hundred "terminal" cancer patients treated with 10,000 mg of vitamin C daily survived three to four times longer than similar patients who did not receive vitamin C supplements. However, Dr. William DeWys, chief of clinical investigations at the National Cancer Institute, found that the study was poorly designed because the patient groups were not comparable.
12. If a scientist does an experiment and the results are not as he or she expected, would the scientist consider this a bad result? Why or why not? Can they learn anything from this? What?
Answer: No, Unexpected results are not Bad results per say, if the experiment is performed in the correct manner. Unexpected results provide a chance of improvement in current understanding of a natural phenomenon. Scientist do an analysis of this result and come up with a much better version of a theory.
13. Say a scientist is going to do an experiment to test his or her idea. Would a scientist do an experiment that might prove this idea is wrong? Why or why not?
Answer: Yes, A scientist does an experiment that might prove this idea is wrong. Science is not about satisfying an individual’s ego but to know the truth of existence. Sometimes truth is not what we think. But it still increases our understanding of nature.
14. What happens to a scientist’s ideas once he has done a test?
Answer: Scientist does following steps after performing tests.
1. Analysis – Scientist do the analysis of results of his test and checks whether it satisfies our hypothesis or not.
2. Conclusion – decide how your test results relate to your predictions.
3. Communicate – share your results so others can learn from your work and verify your work.
15. Do scientists ever change their ideas? IF YES: When would they do that and why?
Answer: Yes, scientists change their ideas. Whenever unexpected results of repeated tests appear. Scientist changes their ideas because Science is not about satisfying an individual’s ego but to know the truth of existence.
