General Science

• Scientific method


  A process to find answers or solve problems, first acknowledged by the scientist and philosopher Ibn al-Haytham in the 11th century
• Steps of the scientific method

  1. Observe and Ask Questions

  2. Research

  3. Formulate a Hypothesis

  4. Test your hypothesis

  5. Conclude

  6. Share Results
• Goal of the scientific method

  To find out the truth
• Step 1: Observe and Question


  1. Observation helps formulate challenging questions that can be tested

  2. A good question converts the natural sense of wonder into a focused line of investigation
• Example questions

  • When is the best time to drive to school?
  • Which food is my dog's favorite?
  • Why do women smile more often than men?
• Step 2: Research


  1. Find out if others have asked the same or similar questions

  2. Use search terms like "study ...", "research ..." or "meta-analysis ..." to find relevant information

  3. Read about the subject to see what is known
• Example research topics


  • Happiness based on gender
  • The science of smiling in different cultural contexts
• Step 3: Formulate a Hypothesis


  A hypothesis is a theory that can be tested to see if the prediction is right or wrong
• Example hypothesis
• Step 4: Test Your Hypothesis


  1. Design a fair test where conditions are constant

  2. Consider potential confounding variables that could impact the results
• Step 5: Analyze and Conclude


  1. Analyze the data to see if the hypothesis is correct or incorrect

  2. May need to change the hypothesis or the test design

  3. Repeat this stage until the right hypothesis and test method are found
• Step 6: Share the Results


  1. Detail the methods so peers can review the work

  2. Reproducibility is a sign of good scientific work

  3. Failed results can also be interesting and should be reported
• Falsifiability


  A scientific theory must be falsifiable - it must be possible to prove it wrong
• Correlation vs Causation


  Correlation does not imply causation - just because two things are related does not mean one causes the other
• Selective windowing


  Only presenting the data that supports your conclusion, while omitting relevant contradictory information
• The purpose of science is to find out the truth and nothing but the truth
• Using science to mislead is wrong and terrible business practice
• The size of a coin does not determine its value
• A small sample size is not enough to draw conclusions
• More research is needed to test the hypothesis about coin values