Re: A. Einstein and science-fairs

[Leigh Palmer <palmer@SFU.CA>]

> I've seen projects that ask something like "which
> > > paper towel will absorb more" and then the kid makes a random guess at one,
> > > and calls it an hypothesis. I consider these non-science and pass them by
> > > with an irritation for the teacher who hasn't a clue what "hypothesis" is
> > > supposed to mean.
> >
> > Sounds like a hypothesis to me. It is trivial, of course, but then
> > so is the whole "scientific method" business.
> >
> > Newton said it best - "Hypotheses non fingo." Few would argue that
> > Newton didn't know how to do science.
>
>
> my objection is to the "random guess" with no thinking about which could be
> expected to absorb more with some basis for the belief. An hypothesis, if
> indeed one is to be used, should be "there is no difference in absorbancy
> of the two (or more) brands of paper towels."  And on these projects I have
> yet to see one decently done.

But on what is she to base such a hypothesis? What is to inform her
thinking? TV commercials? Andrea Martin* assures me that "Bounty" is
best, and she's really a fine comedienne. I could go along with her
and hypothesize that "Bounty" will be most absorbent because Andrea
Martin told me so, and on TV, too! (They can't lie on TV, can they?)
Is that better than a random guess?

I think any reasonable person would start with a question "Which of
these towels absorbs best?" Should a scientist not be reasonable?

Leigh

*I was very sorry when Gilda Radner died. Andrea Martin could have
stepped into her niche, but somehow she never caught the wave. I
was very sorry when I saw her doing "Bounty" commercials for a
living. Sorry in a different way, of course.