SciDi: Physics – Science of Humility
music; ambience: laboratory sounds
“To me, physics is the art of problem solving and the science of humility.”
Welcome to Pulse of the Planet’s Science Diaries, a glimpse of the world of science from the inside. We’re in the lab with Micha Kilburn, a graduate student of physics at Michigan State University. She’s trying to learn more about the elements that make up our world. But learning the ropes of being an experimental physicist can be a matter of trial and error.
ambience: working in the lab
“Every day down here when we’re setting up for an experiment or even doing data analysis if something isn’t working, you have to come up with a little mini experiment to test all the possible reasons why it’s not working. I say it’s an art of problem solving, because you have to come up with the right hypothesis for why things aren’t working. If the true reason why something isn’t working or why it’s working oddly isn’t in your hypothesis, it’s less likely you’re gonna figure it out. You have to have the experience to see what the possibilities are, what’s the best way to test those possibilities, and then, of course, you also have to interpret the results correctly.”
ambience: lab sounds, conversation
“And I claim that it’s the science of humility because being an apprentice as an experimental physicist, you come up with all these ideas, and then, somebody with more experience says, ‘Yeah. I’ve tried that a million times. It doesn’t work.’ Especially those of us that are less experienced, we tend to make screw-ups from time to time. So, yeah, I assert that physics is the art of problem solving and the science of humility.”
To check out our latest project, please visit kidsciencechallenge.com. Pulse of the Planet’s Science Diaries are made possible by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.