Topics in Depth

Topics in Depth

The Scientific Method

What do you think of when you hear about the scientific method? The decaying poster with a list of steps that's been on the wall of your science classroom since medieval times? A cookie-cutter lab...

Collecting Data

Data are like gold for scientists. Not because they can help them buy that two-story hamster dream house they've been eyeing. Data are evidence that scientists use to support their claims about the...

Graphing Data

Imagine we've just finished our experiment and we're looking at a big pile of data. It's like our calculator had the stomach flu and spewed numbers everywhere. Gross. How do we organize those data...

Analyzing Data

All right, we've got ourselves a pretty good-lookin' graph or some pretty amazing data. Now what? Now it's time for analysis. Analyzing data is, like, the most exciting part of being a scientist. O...

Error

Oops we did it again.Equipment broke down, We used the wrong tool. Oh baby, baby, Oops we made a mistake,Measured the wrong lake.That lil' error is not that innocent. Okay, so maybe we're not as go...

Ethical Issues

Before we dive into the ethical issues scientists have to consider before doing an experiment, let's make sure we all understand what "ethics" means. Ethics are basically rules for behavior that ma...

Scientific Models

What do Heidi Klum and Darwin's Theory of Evolution have in common? Give up? They're both models. While Heidi models the latest trends in pleather and plaid, Darwin Theory of Evolution models the l...

Communicating Results

If a scientist does an experiment, but doesn't share his results, did he actually do the experiment? Philosophical questions aside, the answer is basically no. Sharing is caring in the science worl...

Law vs. Hypothesis vs. Theory

Law. Hypothesis. Theory. If you're taking a science class, you are going to hear these three words a lot. We were thinking it would be nice if we were all on the same page about what they mean, so...

Science and Technology

Are you reading this on a computer? A tablet? A smartphone? We're going to go out on a limb and say that whatever medium you're using, you're not reading a version of this page that has been scratc...

Common Mistakes

The Scientific MethodThe biggest mistake we should avoid with the scientific method is thinking of it as a something that happens in a straight line. Yes, it's easier to think of the scientific met...

Test Your Knowledge

The Scientific Method1. What leads scientists to forming a scientific question and hypothesis?2. Is the scientific method a linear process with a clear start and end point? 3. What makes for a good...