Author: Victor Carrano

This course had a meaningful impact on my understanding of science and the process involved in evaluating and analyzing scientific data and observations.  I learned how to use the science senses of number sense, data sense and knowledge sense while conducting scientific experimentation and research during the soap and aspirin labs, the healthcare innovation project and BioBlitz.  These skills enhanced my ability to think critically while I developed a broader knowledge of various scientific topics.  The course was a worthwhile experience that taught me to look at science from a different perspectives.  Rather than looking at each project and assignment individually, I learned how to apply the findings and lessons of these assignments to the broader view of how important and revolutionary scientific discoveries are made.

What made this course most worthwhile and interesting was the challenge of developing our own scientific ideas and innovations.  Developing our own Bioblitz project hypothesis was one such challenge.  This project was a great way of incorporating our research skills with with Bioblitz observations and data.  By finding, interpreting and analyzing data collected by students at previous Bioblitz events along with other data sets collected by scientists across New York City, we were able to test our hypothesis and look for correlations in data that could support our ideas.  Another such challenge was developing our own healthcare innovation.  This project involved analyzing scientific sources from popular news articles and peer-reviewed journals to find a need for a specific healthcare innovation and evaluate how our proposed innovation could address the problem.  This project tested our research ability and our ingenuity, both of which are vital for scientific discovery.  These two projects taught me how to think and approach science like a scientist by evaluating and building off of the ideas of others while developing original and innovative ideas of my own.

However, the most noteworthy learning experience of the course was having the opportunity to work in a group.  Working collaboratively with other group members on our various projects and assignments was a great way to produce the best ideas.  Everyone made important contributions to the group that made the projects better.  We were able to divide responsibility so that everyone could be involved, but we were also able to effectively merge our ideas together into a cohesive project.  This collaborative work gave us a better understanding of how scientists must work together and build off of one another to make important advancements and discoveries.  Just as our projects would not have been as successful had we not worked together, many scientific discoveries and developments would not be possible without the collaboration of scientists who work together to conduct experiments, collective data and analyze their findings.  Aside from its relevance to science, the collaborative group work that we gained experience in will be vital to all of us regardless of what career path we choose, as we must always be able to work together with others to develop ideas and solve problems.

Our Aspirin synthesis experiment was a very interesting educational experience that gave me a better understanding of the process involved in developing an important healthcare innovation.  Aspirin is a very important healthcare innovation that revolutionized the process of treating pain and inflammation.  It was very informative to learn how aspirin is synthesized through the combination of salicylic acid and acetic anhydride along with phosphoric acid, which catalyzes the reaction.  Watching the crystallization of the aspirin crystals was fascinating, and I was very surprised by how much aspirin was created once I vacuum filtered the aspirin crystals.

The aspirin experiment gave me a better understanding of what it is like to conduct an experiment and use the scientific method.  I followed a step-by-step approach and made important observations over the course of my experiment as I used my various science senses.  An important science sense that I used frequently during the experiment was the numbers sense.  The experiment required precise measurements of different chemical compounds, and I needed to use my numbers sense to obtain exact measurements of volume and mass.  In addition to my observations and use of numbers sense, I also needed to establish a control for the experiment to determine the purity of my aspirin.  Methane was used as a control in order to test for trace salicylic acid in the aspirin, and the differences in color helped to show this.  Incorporating these different components of the scientific method made this lab experiment a very educational and worthwhile experience.

If I had to write a popular media article based on a scientific paper, I would include visual aids and interviews to make the article appealing to a general audience while retaining its scientific relevance.  Visual aids such as pictures, graphs or charts would represent the scientific information and research in an appealing and comprehensible way that could retain the attention of the audience while remaining informative.  Diagrams and charts could help to complement the scientific information from the text, and such visuals could present the scientific findings and results from the primary source in an innovative way.  Likewise, interviews with people connected to the specific scientific topic or study such as researchers, doctors or patients would provide the audience with a better understanding of the scientific topic’s significance.  Incorporating a simplified synopsis of the scientific research along with relevant first-hand perspectives and visuals would strengthen the effectiveness of the scientific research in resonating with ordinary readers who may not otherwise find it appealing.

One area where authors could improve when writing about science is tampering expectations of the impact of the scientific research that they are reporting on.  Popular media authors should refrain from exaggerating and inferring more idealistic conclusions beyond the conclusions of the scientific research.  Beyond this criticism, I was struck by the controversial research that was conducted pertaining to modifying genes to cure or treat certain diseases or disorders such as muscular dystrophy.  I was surprised that the authors of the popular media articles pertaining to these studies did not adequately mention the ethical concerns of theses methods of genetic modification.  This is a controversial form of scientific research, and I believe that the authors should have highlighted the concerns to the audience and presented the potential risks.