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THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
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Blown Away Head Lice Meet Hair Dryer of Death
Head lice are becoming indestructible. A study found as many as 80% of the bugs are resistant to insecticides in over-the-counter shampoos, and resistance will only increase. Evolutionary biologist Dale Clayton may have a new line of attack. Clayton, who usually studies lice on bird feathers, stumbled onto his solution after a major research setback. When he moved his laboratory from England to the University of Utah a decade ago, his entire louse collection perished in the dry desert air. Soon after, his 8-year-old came home from school with head lice. He wondered if human head lice could also be killed by drying them out. “It was sort of a forehead slapper,” Clayton says. After conventional hair dryers failed, Clayton came up with the LouseBuster, a 10-pound device resembling a vacuum cleaner that desiccates (dries out) the bugs with a jet of 140-degree air (140° F). “It’s a pretty brutal assault,” he says. Tests show the invention is both safe and effective, eradicating 80% of live lice and 98% of eggs, leaving survivors unable to breed. And, Clayton says, “it will be awfully hard for lice to develop resistance.” Source: Emily Saarman, “Blown Away-Head Lice Meets Hair Dryer of Death,” Discover Magazine,February 2007
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STEPS 1. State the problem. 2. Formulate a hypothesis.
In the form of a question 2. Formulate a hypothesis. Write as an “If….then….because…” statement.
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3. Test the hypothesis with a controlled experiment.
Parts: Be sure to use a large sample size Control Group: gives the basis for comparison Ex. Experimental Group: tests ONE SPECIFIC variable Independent Variable: the condition that is changed by the scientist Dependent Variable: the condition that results from the change
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An INFERENCE is an interpretation of your observations.
4. Make observations Examine and describe using your senses. Collect and record data/information An OBSERVATION is determined using the senses (sight, sound, taste, hearing, touch) and instruments (microscopes, thermometers). Ex. An INFERENCE is an interpretation of your observations.
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5. Come to a conclusion, based on prior knowledge and data collected.
Ex. 6. Experiment MUST be repeatable to verify data and ensure accuracy.
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