THINK LIKE A SCIENTIST this Science Week!

THINK LIKE A SCIENTIST this Science Week! with bSmall publishing (and our thanks for this fun Blog)!

Real-life scientists are always finding out new things and they do this by asking lots of questions, experimenting, observing and then asking more questions. There is ALWAYS more to find out!

The real root of thinking like a scientist begins with asking questions to get to the truth. We can apply a scientific way of thinking to our lives in lots of different ways. For example, let’s take a look at these fake headlines:

Headlines like these are designed to make us feel curious and sometimes shock or scare us, but that doesn’t mean the information is correct. It might only tell part of the story or misrepresent it altogether!

When you encounter a news story you aren’t sure about, here are four things to do right away:

1. Ask WHO is writing it or sharing it. Can they be trusted?

2. Ask WHERE they got their information from. Do they link to other verified sources?

3. Ask WHAT is the scientific evidence behind the story. Is it old or new information – might new evidence or information have come to light since it was written that now disproves it?

4. CORROBORATE the facts by looking at more than one source of information – repeat steps 1-3 to check this one too!

Find a science story in the news and compare the way it is presented across several news sources. You could then research and verify the science behind the story to find out the facts for yourself. To do this, use reliable sources like up-to-date books wtitten by specialists and websites of adademic institutions like universities.

To find out more about how to think like a scientist, get the book from b small publishing!