In science, a hypothesis is a speculation that might explain a particular observation. This can then be tested to try and show that it is wrong. If it cannot be demonstrated to be wrong, if it explains the observed facts and if it allows accurate predictions to be made then it may be promoted to …
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Series:How Science Works
This is a good set of posts to help you appreciate why we can confident about some things and uncertain about others.
How Science Works #2…
The theory of evolution attempts to explain the many connections between all living things on Earth. The fossil record, evidence from genes, geographical distribution and laboratory experiment all point towards living things sharing a common ancestor from about 3.5 billion years ago. Simple, self-replicating molecules may have become more complex bacteria-like organisms from which all …
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Witch Village…
Watch how this brave and wise Knight calmly applies the scientific method to determine whether or not the young woman is a witch. He helps to educate the ignorant village people at the same time! . Questions… 1. In most experiments there are various factors (variables) that need either to be controlled, altered or measured. …
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That Is, Like, SO Unfair…
I have noticed an occasional confusion over the phrase ‘fair test’ and I am even ashamed to say that I have allowed it to appear in one of my booklets in an incorrect context. It is an important phrase so I would like to offer a brief explanation. In an experiment, it is important only …
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Clinical Trials…
I have mentioned clinical trials before and this video describes the process nicely. There is also a bit of history in there too – useful if you want to know why the Brits are known as Limeys in certain parts of the world. It was produced by the European Union before the Brexit vote (I …
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Accurate & Precise…
This post assumes that you have read That Is Like, So Unfair about what makes a fair test. When you are asked to comment on why a particular step is taken in an experiment it is tempting to answer, “To make it a fair test” without really thinking it through carefully. There are two other …
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Degrees Of Confidence…
As should be very obvious from how governments around the world have dealt with recent pandemic difficulties, science does not deal in absolute certainty. We often hear that they are ‘following the science‘ but I suspect that allows enough wiggle room for them to do what is politically most appealing. Science deals with probability and …
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Tryptophan…
I go on about amino acids a lot. Sorry about that! If you click here you will be logged into Focus eLearning (come straight back!), then if you click here you will be taken to a nice page about how the digestive enzyme pepsin breaks a protein molecule in your food down into individual amino …
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Units and Sig. Figs…
With my holidays almost at a close (but you still have masses of time so enjoy it!) I thought it would be worthwhile posting this from Hank Green. It is the second video of a series on Chemistry from the YouTube channel – Crash Course. It is a new channel to me but looks really …
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Standard Form…
This is especially relevant to those of you doing Radley Physics Papers. Joking aside, knowing a little mathematical notation can be very helpful. Often a “back-of-the-envelope calculation” is enough to use as a guide to the sort of answer you might expect. Standard form is a way of expressing numbers as multiples of ten. It …
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