Steps of How to Investigate a Problem A.K.A. The Scientific Method

The Problem Small Pox Acute contagious Virus 3000 yrs old Killed 30% of victims. Scarred and blinded 80% World wide epidemics that changed history .

Scientist Edward Jenner 1749 - 1843

Observation 1778:-An epidemic of small pox spread through Gloucestershire England. Jenner noticed that farmers working with cattle didn’t get the disease. They were in contact with cow pox, a milder form of the disease.

Hypothesis Is an idea to work from. An educated guess Can be tested Changes as you get more information. If...,then... Statement “Maybe cow pox can protect you from small pox. If I infect a healthy person with cow pox ,then they won’t catch small pox.”

Testing or The Experiment Variable: the conditions of the experiment that vary Control: Everything else must remain the same for a standard comparison. Mr Phipps offered his healthy son James for this experiment. Jenner took pus from a woman with cow pox. He infected James and he got cow pox and got better. 6 weeks later he infected James with small pox and he did not get sick.

Collecting Data Record everything observed whether or not it agrees with your hypothesis. Eg. Ignaz Semmelweis ,July1818- Aug 1865 While working in a maternity ward he discovered that child bed fever was contagious. That if Doctors washed their hands between patients and after working with Cadavers then the infection was greatly reduced. In spite of evidence he could not convince his colleagues. They were hostile and thought it was too much work. He Suffered a nervous break down, was committed to an insane assylum and later dies of an infection.

The Germ Theory had not yet been discovered. People didn’t know that bacteria casued disease. They didn’t even know bacteria existed. It didn’t fit the popular hypothesis of the day, “Humors”.

Analysis and Conclusion Look at your Data. Try to explain it based on you hypothesis. If you can’t, find a new hypothesis and start again Eg. Alexander Flemming In 1928 while working on a flu virus a mould grew on the Plates . It had a bacteria free zone around it. It killed bacteria even when diluted 800 times..... Penicillin.

Communication Report your results to your colleagues. They will try to prove you wrong or support your ideas. If your results can be repeated then they are better. (Scientists always leave room for doubt and new information). Convince them if you can

The end of the story This was the beginning of vaccinations. Jenner coined the word virus. It took a long time to convince people it worked. 1950 :- 50 million cases 1967:- beginning of global vaccinations 10 -15 million cases 1978 :- last case 1980:- Declared eradicated by WHO

Bibliography "Edward Jenner." Zephyrus Interactive Education Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2010. "Edward Jenner Biography (1749-1823)." Internet FAQ Archives - Online Education - faqs.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2010. <http://www.faqs.org/health/bios/95/Ed ward-Jenner.html>. Untitled: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheet /smallpox/en/. 09/16/10, 11:31AM