Tools of Science: Testable Questions

Summary

This educational video script delves into the scientific method, emphasizing the significance of asking testable questions. It introduces marine microbiologists Kim and Kay, who investigate how light influences the interaction between a phytoplankton species and its infecting virus. The script outlines the SMART criteria for formulating testable questions: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Temporal. Through their research, Kim and Kay exemplify the scientific process, guiding viewers to understand how to transform a broad inquiry into a precise, investigable question.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Scientists are driven by curiosity and ask testable questions to understand phenomena.
• 🌐 Marine microbiologists Kim and Kay study how light affects interactions between phytoplankton and viruses in the ocean.
• 🤔 Initial curiosity questions often lead to scientific research but need to be refined into testable questions.
• 🔍 The SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Temporal) helps in formulating testable questions.
• 🎯 A testable question should have a clear, single answer to be effective for scientific inquiry.
• ⚖️ Measurable questions allow for quantifiable results, which are essential for scientific experiments.
• 🏋️ Achievable questions consider the resources and time available for conducting experiments.
• 🌊 Relevance ensures that the question pertains to the actual conditions and context of the study, such as the natural environment of the organisms.
• ⏳ Temporal considerations mean that the question should be relevant to a specific time frame, aligning with the natural processes being studied.
• 🧪 Professional scientists continuously practice thinking scientifically to ensure their questions are testable and yield meaningful results.

Q & A

What is the common trait among all scientists regardless of their field of study?

All scientists, regardless of their field, share a natural curiosity and start their research with a testable question.

What is the role of light in the research conducted by Kim and Kay?

In the research by Kim and Kay, light is studied for its role in mediating host-virus interactions in the ocean, specifically how it may structure infection processes.

Why are testable questions essential in scientific research?

Testable questions are essential because they allow scientists to design experiments that yield meaningful results, which are crucial for advancing scientific understanding.

What does the acronym SMART stand for in the context of formulating testable questions?

In the context of formulating testable questions, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Temporal.

How does the specificity of a question influence the design of scientific experiments?

A specific question allows for the design of experiments that can provide definitive yes or no answers, which is necessary for obtaining meaningful results.

What challenges does Kim face when trying to measure the effect of light on the viral process?

Kim faces the challenge that light affects both the host and the virus, so the range of light tested must be narrow enough to affect the virus without impacting the host's well-being.

Why is it important for a testable question to be achievable?

A testable question must be achievable to ensure that the necessary resources, time, and conditions are available to perform the experiment and obtain valid results.

How does the relevance of a question impact its importance in scientific research?

A question's relevance ensures that the research is focused on phenomena that are significant and applicable to the real-world context, making the findings more meaningful.

What does the temporal aspect of a testable question imply for the design of experiments?

The temporal aspect of a testable question implies that the experiments should be designed within a specific time frame that is relevant to the phenomenon being studied.

How do professional scientists ensure their questions are testable without consciously using the SMART acronym?

Professional scientists ensure their questions are testable by continuously practicing scientific thinking, which includes implicitly considering the SMART criteria to formulate meaningful and answerable questions.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 The Role of Testable Questions in Scientific Inquiry

This paragraph introduces the concept of scientific curiosity and the importance of asking testable questions in the scientific process. It highlights the work of marine microbiologists Kim and Kay, who are investigating how light affects the interaction between a specific phytoplankton, Emiliana huxleyi, and the virus that infects it. The paragraph emphasizes the journey from a broad curiosity to a specific, testable question, which is crucial for designing meaningful experiments. The SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Temporal) is introduced as a tool to refine a broad question into a testable one. The focus is on making the question specific by narrowing down the effects of light on the host-virus interaction to a yes-or-no answer, which is essential for experimental design.

05:01

🌐 Applying the SMART Acronym to Refine Scientific Questions

This paragraph delves deeper into the SMART acronym, illustrating how each criterion is applied to refine a scientific question. It discusses the importance of having measurable results, achievable experiments within the constraints of resources and time, and relevance to the natural environment where the organisms live. The paragraph also addresses the temporal aspect of the question, emphasizing the need for a time-bound inquiry that aligns with the biological processes being studied. The scientists' quest to understand the effects of light on the viral infection process within the first 24 to 48 hours post-infection is highlighted. The paragraph concludes by stressing the importance of asking testable questions for conducting meaningful scientific experiments and obtaining valuable insights.

Keywords

💡Testable Question

A testable question is a fundamental component of scientific inquiry. It is a question that can be investigated through observation or experimentation to yield a definitive answer. In the video, the importance of testable questions is emphasized as the starting point for scientific research. The script uses the example of how light affects the interaction between a phytoplankton called Emiliana huxleyi and the virus that infects it, transforming a broad curiosity into a specific, investigable query.

💡Curiosity

Curiosity is the natural desire to learn or know more about something. In the context of the video, curiosity is what drives scientists to ask questions and explore the unknown. It is the initial spark that leads to scientific investigation, as illustrated by Kim and Kay's curiosity about the effect of light on the host-virus interaction in marine microbiology.

💡SMART Acronym

The SMART acronym is a tool used to ensure that a question is testable within scientific research. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Temporal. The video script uses this acronym to guide the transformation of a broad question into a testable one, emphasizing the need for precision and feasibility in scientific inquiry.

💡Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that float in the ocean and are a critical part of the marine food web. They are also capable of photosynthesis, using sunlight to produce their own food. In the video, Emiliana huxleyi, a type of phytoplankton, is the subject of study to understand how light influences its interaction with infecting viruses.

💡Virus

A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of an organism. In the video, the virus's interaction with phytoplankton is central to the research conducted by Kim and Kay. The script discusses how light might structure infection processes, highlighting the virus's role in marine ecosystems.

💡Light Intensity

Light intensity refers to the amount of light energy that is received per unit area. In the video, the researchers are interested in how different light intensities might affect the interaction between phytoplankton and viruses. The script mentions conducting experiments with varying light conditions to determine their impact on the infection process.

💡Wavelength

Wavelength is the distance between two corresponding points in consecutive cycles of a wave. In the context of the video, the researchers are curious about how different wavelengths of light present in the ocean might influence the host-virus interactions. The script discusses the importance of considering relevant wavelengths for the testable question.

💡Infection Process

The infection process refers to the way a pathogen, such as a virus, enters, multiplies within, and causes disease in a host organism. The video script explores how light could potentially structure this process in the case of phytoplankton and their infecting viruses, making it a key aspect of the scientific investigation.

💡Flow Cytometer

A flow cytometer is a laboratory instrument used to count, examine, and sort microscopic particles, such as cells, by measuring light scattered by them as they pass through a laser beam. In the video, the flow cytometer is mentioned as a tool that can count infected cells, which is crucial for measuring the effect of light on the infection process.

💡Temporal

Temporal in the context of the video refers to the aspect of time in relation to the scientific question being asked. The script explains that a testable question should have a time component, such as the duration of the infection process in the study, to ensure that the experiments are conducted within a relevant time frame.

💡Achievable

Achievable, as part of the SMART criteria, means that the scientific question should be answerable given the resources, time, and constraints of the research environment. The video script uses the example of Kim and Kay's team considering whether they have the necessary equipment and time to investigate the effects of light on the virus within a lab setting.

Highlights

Scientists are naturally curious and their work begins with a curiosity to understand phenomena.

Testable questions are at the core of scientific inquiry.

Kim and Kay, marine microbiologists, study the role of light in mediating host-virus interactions in the ocean.

Phytoplankton, like Emiliana huxleyi, use sunlight for photosynthesis, indicating the importance of light for their growth.

The initial broad question about light's effect on host-virus interactions is not testable due to its vagueness.

The SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Temporal) is introduced to refine questions into testable form.

For a question to be testable, it must be specific with a defined answer.

Measurable questions should lead to quantifiable results, such as the amount of light or infected cells.

Achievable questions consider the availability of resources and time to conduct experiments.

Relevance ensures the question's applicability to the context, such as the wavelengths of light present in the ocean.

Temporal questions are grounded in time, aligning with the timeframe of the phenomena being studied.

The refined testable question focuses on the effect of light wavelengths and intensities on the virus within a specific time frame.

Professional scientists continuously practice scientific thinking to ensure their questions are testable.

The video encourages viewers interested in the tools of science to subscribe for more content.

Transcripts

there's all kinds of different

scientists out there working all over

the world in all different kinds of

environments researching all different

kinds of topics but they all have one

thing in common they ask questions

scientists are naturally curious right

that's so it all starts with sort of

just a curiosity to know what's

happening in something but to actually

find out what's happening in something

scientists have to ask a very specific

type of question called the testable

question to understand why testable

questions are at the heart of science

we're going to look at the work that Kim

and Kay are doing Kay vital and Kim two

mantra : our marine microbiologist at

Rutgers University the work that we're

doing is looking at the role that light

plays in mediating host fires'

interactions in the ocean could light be

structuring infection in the infection

process itself let's back up given Kay's

team studies the interaction between a

tiny phytoplankton called Emiliana

Huxley eye or yucks

and the virus that infects E Hux these

guys are phytoplankton and they use

sunlight to make their own food which

means they need light to grow these guys

infect these guys and kill them when Kim

and Kay were on an expedition together

they wondered whether light was

affecting the interaction between hosts

and virus they were curious like well

how does that work Kim wondered how does

light affect this host virus interaction

well this is a great initial curiosity

question that often initiates scientific

research it's not a testable question

because it could be a number of

different answers it can affect the

virus itself it can lead to viral decay

it can enhance growth rate of the host

and so therefore it stimulates viral

production how does light do it is not

there's too many ways to answer that

question this distinction may seem a

little subtle so to help understand what

makes a question testable we'll use the

smart acronym where smart stands for

specific measurable achievable relevant

and temporal we're going to go through

each one by taking our initial broad

question and then modifying it into an

actual testable question that Kay

Kim's team tested so starting with s

specific for a question to be testable

it needs to be specific meaning you

should be asking a question that has one

defined answer this is why you can't

just say how it is light effect post

fires interactions and there are just a

million different ways to answer that

there's no defined answer and with no

defined answer you can't design an

experiment that will give you meaningful

results but if you say does light effect

post virus interactions then your answer

is either yes or it's no that's specific

now you can design experiments to test

that question in order to answer that

specific question we have to design a

number of different experiments it's not

one experiment per question that's

because light is still very broad light

can have different intensities and it

can have different wavelengths we did an

experiment where we infected in the dark

and then we did an experiment we

infected in constant light and then we

did an experiment at different lighter

radiances so for our initial question to

be testable we need to think about how

to make it specific so it becomes this

does light at different wavelengths and

intensities affect host virus

interaction so specific check next and

measurable testable question should lead

to answers that have measurable results

so is the answer to this question

measurable well you can measure the

amount of light organisms get you can

measure the brightness of the light you

can measure the amount of infected cells

versus non infected cells in a sample

but if you want to measure the effect of

light on the viral process of infection

you have to be able to measure what's

going on with just the virus and one of

the challenges that Kim faced is that

light affects both posts and viruses and

so if you test a you know too big of a

range of light now you've got a

situation where not enough light and the

host is unhappy and too much light and

the host is unhappy Kim and Kay's team

were able to find a narrow range of

light intensities that effect the virus

but keep the host happy so they know the

question they are asking is measurable

so we can modify this question

accordingly does light at different

wavelengths and intensities that don't

affect the host affect the virus so

measurable check ok next egg achievable

whether you are in a science

or a professional scientist you need to

ask do I have the stuff to do this thing

in the time I have we push our students

to recognize that there are constraints

in terms of what they can do in the

classroom with science with the time and

the supplies that we have but we

parallel this to the constraints that a

scientist would see in the field they

have more resources available and more

time available to them but they still go

through the same process so is our

question achievable well to answer this

we eat stuff like lights that can be

adjusted to specific brightnesses

bottles for samples a big machine called

a flow cytometer that can count infected

cells and finally you need samples of

cells the organisms we study we can grow

in the lab and we can do controlled

experiments but ultimately we want to

know what are they doing out in nature

in this big ocean at this small scale in

a really big place and so we want to try

and replicate that so when we're

actually going in and designing a

testable question or a process that

we're trying to measure at sea can we

achieve that condition that's gonna

actually allow us to answer that

question that we're asking so if you

have the stuff and you have the time

then it's achievable check so the

question becomes does light at different

wavelengths and intensities that don't

affect the host effect the virus given

that our equipment and the time we have

allows us to perform an experiment on

this organism that can be successfully

grown in a lab next relevant is this

question even relevant for example our

question so far is specific measurable

and achievable but what if here we're

asking about wavelengths of light that

aren't even present in the ocean well

obviously if these guys live in the

ocean and there's not a lot of red and

yellow light where they are it's not

relevant to ask about those wavelengths

of light so the question becomes does

light at the wavelengths present in the

ocean and intensities that don't affect

the host affect the virus even that our

equipment and the time we have allows us

to perform an experiment relevance check

finally temporal the question should be

grounded in time so back to our question

does this question relate to a specific

time the infection process that we study

takes place over a certain you know a

few days three to four days so the

experiments that we set up are not going

to gonna you know run out for you know

weeks at a time so we may be interested

in asking questions

within the first 24 hours you can't do

an experiment that never ends that's why

your testable question has to have a

time component to it temporal check now

finally we have arrived at our big

testable question does light at the

wavelengths present in the ocean and

intensities that don't affect the host

affect the virus in the first 24 to 48

hours of infection our equipment because

professional scientists practice

thinking scientifically all the time

they don't need to consciously go

through this smart acronym every time

they ask a question nor do they always

arrive at one master question like we've

done here but they are always making

sure that the questions they're asking

are testable so they can run experiments

and get answers that are actually

meaningful if you like the tools of

science please subscribe and if you want

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