In this episode, we discuss how you can apply the scientific method to your life. As children we are natural scientists and experiment with the world to learn how things work. As we physicians we are trained scientists. We want to cultivate that intellectual curiosity and start to apply what we have learned thus far about our power, our control, our choices, our ability to improve our own lives with purposeful experiments. We then examine the results and move forward better informed.

Scientific Method

1. Make observations. (Do background research)
2. Ask a question
3. Construct a hypothesis
4. Test (variable) with an experiment
5. Gather data/results. Analyze data.
6. Conclusion: results support or do not support hypothesis
7. Proceed further in an iterative fashion (use the results to make a new hypothesis or prediction, cyclical, feeds back into more questions, more hypotheses, more experiments)

Reference:

Xiaodong Lin-Siegler, Janet N. Ahn, Jondou Chen, Fu-Fen Anny Fang, Myra Luna-Lucero. Even Einstein struggled: Effects of learning about great scientists' struggles on high school students' motivation to learn science.. Journal of Educational Psychology, 2016; 108 (3): 314-328.