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How To Science

Official guidance, filed by the Banana Business Bureau™ — Department of Banana Science & Appealing Research.

You have a question. The Bureau has a procedure. Below is the sanctioned method for turning curiosity into a project worthy of the Banana Rodeo Science Fair — reviewed by Dr. York Smith (PhD, Bananalogy) against eight criteria, including Criterion 7, Delightfully Strange, and Criterion 8, Least Use of AI.

Approved Categories

You do not need to fit neatly into a box. The Bureau recognizes not just the categories below; but this serves as guidance... We remind you that if it can be tested, measured, observed, built, or broken, it counts.

• Renewable Energy & Power Generation
• Sustainable Systems & Eco-Tech
• Robotics & Machines of Questionable Use
• Egg Science
• Fruit Physics & Banana-Related Inventions
• Crystal Charging
• The Science of Dance
• The Science of the Party

Engineering projects are equally welcome. The Bureau accepts the engineering design process as a lawful alternative to the scientific method, because we care about applications that benefit the community.

The Method (Sanctioned in Five Steps)

Anyone who has read a mystery novel has watched the scientific method in action: a logical, organized procedure for identifying a problem and devising a strategy to solve it.

Step 1 — File a question

Decide what you will study, and state it plainly. A good question narrows your focus to exactly what you want to learn. (Out of questions? Consult the resources below, or the inspiration page.)

Step 2 — Submit a hypothesis

An educated guess. Research what others have already learned, then make a prediction about the question at hand.

Step 3 — Design an experiment

Build a test whose results will either support or disprove your hypothesis. Run at least two groups: an experimental group (containing the variable being tested) and a control group (identical in every way except that variable). Steps 1 through 3, taken together, are your Research Plan.

Step 4 — Collect the data

Run the experiment. Measure the dependent variable — the thing being observed — and record everything in a notebook. The Bureau is a stickler for notebooks.

Step 5 — Draw conclusions

Determine whether your data supports or disproves your hypothesis. If supported, repeat the experiment to confirm the quality of your data. Either outcome is a result: the Bureau does not penalize a disproved hypothesis. It penalizes not running the experiment.

Approved Resources

• Society for Science: manages the International Science and Engineering Fair and the Science Talent Search — guidance, rules, and forms for projects of every type.
• Science News for Students: aggregated science news from the Society for Science.
• SciShow: short videos on the scientific subjects that defy expectations and make us more curious.
• Science.gov: searches 60+ databases and 2,200+ sites from 15 U.S. federal agencies — 200 million pages of authoritative science.

Brought to you by the Banana Business Bureau™

Created: 260605-00:25

Updated: 260605-00:25