Embracing Experimentation: Why Everyone Has an Inner Scientist
What do you picture when I ask you about an experiment?
I would bet money that either a lab or labcoat popped up in your first impression of experimentation. I would also bet that even if these weren’t the first images, you probably didn’t think of walking, talking, or riding a bike.
Walking, talking and riding a bike are activities a majority of us can do but take for granted. In addition, because we learned how to do these things when we were so young, the process is probably a little fuzzy.
Spoiler alert: In all of these cases, we had to try a lot of things that didn’t work until we stumbled upon the method(s) that did.
This is experimentation in it’s purest form. When we try something, stumble, and try something else we are engaging in the process of understanding. Sometimes, the rewards are great. When we finally learned to walk, run, and swim whole new worlds were opened up to us.
Other times, the rewards are small but meaningful. I recently figured out how to make mac and cheese that doesn’t come from a box that tastes just as good. Perfecting my mac and cheese game was a series of “what if I do this?” and observing the results when I did.
Making mac and cheese out of the box doesn’t open a whole new world to me but it did give me pride. More importantly, it has encouraged me to continue my journey of learning how to cook better and healthier. In the long-run, this decision will pay handsome dividends.
What is Experimentation?
“Experiment: to test or to try a new way of doing something”
I like the simplicity of Cambridge’s definition. Most people can read that definition and immediately understand what you’re talking about. The Cambridge Dictionary’s definition also removes the idea of experimentation from science.
The absence of science from the definition implies that anyone, not only a handful of highly qualified people, can conduct experiments.
The Scientific Method and Experimentation
I can hear the groans now, but give me a moment.
The scientific method is a poster child for the art of experimentation. In fact, without experimentation, the scientific method wouldn’t exist. The method’s reliance on experimentation is why we have so much difficulty separating experimentation from science.
To quickly reiterate for those who fell asleep in science class, the six steps of the scientific method are as follows.
- Make an Observation
- Ask a Question
- Propose a Testable Observation
- Make a Prediction
- Test the prediction
- Start back at step 1!
Although it doesn’t seem like it, we use experimentation and the scientific method frequently. It’s vital in our work, our relationships, and our hobbies.
Because we were taught this so often in schools, we assume this is the only way to experiment. Technically, this is false. Since experimentation is simply the act of trying a new way to do something, we can experiment without this method.
But, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
As far as we know, this is one of the most effective ways to conduct experiments. If we follow the scientific method, we will usually be able to generate new knowledge, and thus the rewards, faster than by an unsystematized series of experiments.
While the scientific method isn’t experimentation, it is an effective system for experimentation. It is useful for everyone to be aware of because the method can be applied almost universally. Especially for people who want to self-teach, this process is an invaluable ally on the path to knowledge.
Experimentation and Our Navigation of the World
We all indulge in experimentation, whether we’re consciously aware of it or not.
One of my favorite examples of experimentation is cooking. Unless you’re consistently following the exact same recipe, every new dish is an experiment.
There are several ways to try something new with a meal. Sometimes I feel compelled to add more, less, or different herbs and spices. Sometimes I want to cook your meal for a longer or shorter time or at a different temperature.
Choosing any small tweak to how we prepare a meal and observing the consequences is the heart and soul of experimentation. Through this simple act, we gain invaluable information about something we care about.
Another common arena for people to experiment in is dating. For many people, getting a significant other is of utmost importance. Unless you’re naturally good at being social or highly attractive, this process often involves more than a few failures and false starts.
Especially for the socially inept (I’m looking at myself here), trying to land a date is a long, painful road. My first attempts at trying to get a date were laughable.
I didn’t understand the art of timing the ask, how to engage in interesting conversation, and how to figure out who would consider me potential dating material. Admittedly, I haven’t got much better over my last 3 months of trying, but I’m slowly improving!
It turns out, well-timed humor is the key to most people’s hearts. Asking people about themselves instead of talking about myself lets me get to know them better, and keeps them more invested. Finding tangents and talking about deeper topics allow conversations to go longer.
These, in hindsight, simple things are nuggets of wisdom I learned by asking what’s one thing I could do different and then observing the results. I still haven’t landed a date, but I’m constantly increasing my odds of getting a yes!
Wrapping Up
Although most of us don’t wear lab coats, we are all scientists in our own way. Unless you simply walk through life doing the exact same thing in the exact same manner, you’re actively experimenting with your life.
Over time, humanity has discovered systems, like the scientific method, which help us learn from experimentation more effectively.
Modern society is largely attributable to effective experimentation in lock step with happy accidents. These two forces have largely driven the development of the human species since we first emerged.
Experimentation is inextricably linked with adaptation. Humans have become a dominant force on Earth because of our ability to adapt. Every time we try something new and use the newer, more effective method we adapted to our environment.
When we embrace the power of experimentation not only do we open a whole new world of possibilities, but we also honor those who came before us and made our modern life possible.
