laboratory experiment

Experimental Method In Psychology

Saul McLeod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

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The experimental method involves the manipulation of variables to establish cause-and-effect relationships. The key features are controlled methods and the random allocation of participants into controlled and experimental groups .

What is an Experiment?

An experiment is an investigation in which a hypothesis is scientifically tested. An independent variable (the cause) is manipulated in an experiment, and the dependent variable (the effect) is measured; any extraneous variables are controlled.

An advantage is that experiments should be objective. The researcher’s views and opinions should not affect a study’s results. This is good as it makes the data more valid  and less biased.

There are three types of experiments you need to know:

1. Lab Experiment

A laboratory experiment in psychology is a research method in which the experimenter manipulates one or more independent variables and measures the effects on the dependent variable under controlled conditions.

A laboratory experiment is conducted under highly controlled conditions (not necessarily a laboratory) where accurate measurements are possible.

The researcher uses a standardized procedure to determine where the experiment will take place, at what time, with which participants, and in what circumstances.

Participants are randomly allocated to each independent variable group.

Examples are Milgram’s experiment on obedience and  Loftus and Palmer’s car crash study .

• Strength : It is easier to replicate (i.e., copy) a laboratory experiment. This is because a standardized procedure is used.
• Strength : They allow for precise control of extraneous and independent variables. This allows a cause-and-effect relationship to be established.
• Limitation : The artificiality of the setting may produce unnatural behavior that does not reflect real life, i.e., low ecological validity. This means it would not be possible to generalize the findings to a real-life setting.
• Limitation : Demand characteristics or experimenter effects may bias the results and become confounding variables .

2. Field Experiment

A field experiment is a research method in psychology that takes place in a natural, real-world setting. It is similar to a laboratory experiment in that the experimenter manipulates one or more independent variables and measures the effects on the dependent variable.

However, in a field experiment, the participants are unaware they are being studied, and the experimenter has less control over the extraneous variables .

Field experiments are often used to study social phenomena, such as altruism, obedience, and persuasion. They are also used to test the effectiveness of interventions in real-world settings, such as educational programs and public health campaigns.

An example is Holfing’s hospital study on obedience .

• Strength : behavior in a field experiment is more likely to reflect real life because of its natural setting, i.e., higher ecological validity than a lab experiment.
• Strength : Demand characteristics are less likely to affect the results, as participants may not know they are being studied. This occurs when the study is covert.
• Limitation : There is less control over extraneous variables that might bias the results. This makes it difficult for another researcher to replicate the study in exactly the same way.

3. Natural Experiment

A natural experiment in psychology is a research method in which the experimenter observes the effects of a naturally occurring event or situation on the dependent variable without manipulating any variables.

Natural experiments are conducted in the day (i.e., real life) environment of the participants, but here, the experimenter has no control over the independent variable as it occurs naturally in real life.

Natural experiments are often used to study psychological phenomena that would be difficult or unethical to study in a laboratory setting, such as the effects of natural disasters, policy changes, or social movements.

For example, Hodges and Tizard’s attachment research (1989) compared the long-term development of children who have been adopted, fostered, or returned to their mothers with a control group of children who had spent all their lives in their biological families.

Here is a fictional example of a natural experiment in psychology:

Researchers might compare academic achievement rates among students born before and after a major policy change that increased funding for education.

In this case, the independent variable is the timing of the policy change, and the dependent variable is academic achievement. The researchers would not be able to manipulate the independent variable, but they could observe its effects on the dependent variable.

• Strength : behavior in a natural experiment is more likely to reflect real life because of its natural setting, i.e., very high ecological validity.
• Strength : Demand characteristics are less likely to affect the results, as participants may not know they are being studied.
• Strength : It can be used in situations in which it would be ethically unacceptable to manipulate the independent variable, e.g., researching stress .
• Limitation : They may be more expensive and time-consuming than lab experiments.
• Limitation : There is no control over extraneous variables that might bias the results. This makes it difficult for another researcher to replicate the study in exactly the same way.

Key Terminology

Ecological validity.

The degree to which an investigation represents real-life experiences.

Experimenter effects

These are the ways that the experimenter can accidentally influence the participant through their appearance or behavior.

Demand characteristics

The clues in an experiment lead the participants to think they know what the researcher is looking for (e.g., the experimenter’s body language).

Independent variable (IV)

The variable the experimenter manipulates (i.e., changes) is assumed to have a direct effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent variable (DV)

Variable the experimenter measures. This is the outcome (i.e., the result) of a study.

Extraneous variables (EV)

All variables which are not independent variables but could affect the results (DV) of the experiment. EVs should be controlled where possible.

Confounding variables

Variable(s) that have affected the results (DV), apart from the IV. A confounding variable could be an extraneous variable that has not been controlled.

Random Allocation

Randomly allocating participants to independent variable conditions means that all participants should have an equal chance of participating in each condition.

The principle of random allocation is to avoid bias in how the experiment is carried out and limit the effects of participant variables.

Order effects

Changes in participants’ performance due to their repeating the same or similar test more than once. Examples of order effects include:

(i) practice effect: an improvement in performance on a task due to repetition, for example, because of familiarity with the task;

(ii) fatigue effect: a decrease in performance of a task due to repetition, for example, because of boredom or tiredness.

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Experiment Definition in Science – What Is a Science Experiment?

In science, an experiment is simply a test of a hypothesis in the scientific method . It is a controlled examination of cause and effect. Here is a look at what a science experiment is (and is not), the key factors in an experiment, examples, and types of experiments.

Experiment Definition in Science

By definition, an experiment is a procedure that tests a hypothesis. A hypothesis, in turn, is a prediction of cause and effect or the predicted outcome of changing one factor of a situation. Both the hypothesis and experiment are components of the scientific method. The steps of the scientific method are:

• Make observations.
• Ask a question or identify a problem.
• State a hypothesis.
• Perform an experiment that tests the hypothesis.
• Based on the results of the experiment, either accept or reject the hypothesis.
• Draw conclusions and report the outcome of the experiment.

Key Parts of an Experiment

The two key parts of an experiment are the independent and dependent variables. The independent variable is the one factor that you control or change in an experiment. The dependent variable is the factor that you measure that responds to the independent variable. An experiment often includes other types of variables , but at its heart, it’s all about the relationship between the independent and dependent variable.

Examples of Experiments

Fertilizer and plant size.

For example, you think a certain fertilizer helps plants grow better. You’ve watched your plants grow and they seem to do better when they have the fertilizer compared to when they don’t. But, observations are only the beginning of science. So, you state a hypothesis: Adding fertilizer increases plant size. Note, you could have stated the hypothesis in different ways. Maybe you think the fertilizer increases plant mass or fruit production, for example. However you state the hypothesis, it includes both the independent and dependent variables. In this case, the independent variable is the presence or absence of fertilizer. The dependent variable is the response to the independent variable, which is the size of the plants.

Now that you have a hypothesis, the next step is designing an experiment that tests it. Experimental design is very important because the way you conduct an experiment influences its outcome. For example, if you use too small of an amount of fertilizer you may see no effect from the treatment. Or, if you dump an entire container of fertilizer on a plant you could kill it! So, recording the steps of the experiment help you judge the outcome of the experiment and aid others who come after you and examine your work. Other factors that might influence your results might include the species of plant and duration of the treatment. Record any conditions that might affect the outcome. Ideally, you want the only difference between your two groups of plants to be whether or not they receive fertilizer. Then, measure the height of the plants and see if there is a difference between the two groups.

Salt and Cookies

You don’t need a lab for an experiment. For example, consider a baking experiment. Let’s say you like the flavor of salt in your cookies, but you’re pretty sure the batch you made using extra salt fell a bit flat. If you double the amount of salt in a recipe, will it affect their size? Here, the independent variable is the amount of salt in the recipe and the dependent variable is cookie size.

Test this hypothesis with an experiment. Bake cookies using the normal recipe (your control group ) and bake some using twice the salt (the experimental group). Make sure it’s the exact same recipe. Bake the cookies at the same temperature and for the same time. Only change the amount of salt in the recipe. Then measure the height or diameter of the cookies and decide whether to accept or reject the hypothesis.

Examples of Things That Are Not Experiments

Based on the examples of experiments, you should see what is not an experiment:

• Making observations does not constitute an experiment. Initial observations often lead to an experiment, but are not a substitute for one.
• Making a model is not an experiment.
• Neither is making a poster.
• Just trying something to see what happens is not an experiment. You need a hypothesis or prediction about the outcome.
• Changing a lot of things at once isn’t an experiment. You only have one independent and one dependent variable. However, in an experiment, you might suspect the independent variable has an effect on a separate. So, you design a new experiment to test this.

Types of Experiments

There are three main types of experiments: controlled experiments, natural experiments, and field experiments,

• Controlled experiment : A controlled experiment compares two groups of samples that differ only in independent variable. For example, a drug trial compares the effect of a group taking a placebo (control group) against those getting the drug (the treatment group). Experiments in a lab or home generally are controlled experiments
• Natural experiment : Another name for a natural experiment is a quasi-experiment. In this type of experiment, the researcher does not directly control the independent variable, plus there may be other variables at play. Here, the goal is establishing a correlation between the independent and dependent variable. For example, in the formation of new elements a scientist hypothesizes that a certain collision between particles creates a new atom. But, other outcomes may be possible. Or, perhaps only decay products are observed that indicate the element, and not the new atom itself. Many fields of science rely on natural experiments, since controlled experiments aren’t always possible.
• Field experiment : While a controlled experiments takes place in a lab or other controlled setting, a field experiment occurs in a natural setting. Some phenomena cannot be readily studied in a lab or else the setting exerts an influence that affects the results. So, a field experiment may have higher validity. However, since the setting is not controlled, it is also subject to external factors and potential contamination. For example, if you study whether a certain plumage color affects bird mate selection, a field experiment in a natural environment eliminates the stressors of an artificial environment. Yet, other factors that could be controlled in a lab may influence results. For example, nutrition and health are controlled in a lab, but not in the field.
• Bailey, R.A. (2008). Design of Comparative Experiments . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521683579.
• di Francia, G. Toraldo (1981). The Investigation of the Physical World . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-29925-X.
• Hinkelmann, Klaus; Kempthorne, Oscar (2008). Design and Analysis of Experiments. Volume I: Introduction to Experimental Design (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-72756-9.
• Holland, Paul W. (December 1986). “Statistics and Causal Inference”.  Journal of the American Statistical Association . 81 (396): 945–960. doi: 10.2307/2289064
• Stohr-Hunt, Patricia (1996). “An Analysis of Frequency of Hands-on Experience and Science Achievement”. Journal of Research in Science Teaching . 33 (1): 101–109. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(199601)33:1<101::AID-TEA6>3.0.CO;2-Z

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68 Best Chemistry Experiments: Learn About Chemical Reactions

Whether you’re a student eager to explore the wonders of chemical reactions or a teacher seeking to inspire and engage your students, we’ve compiled a curated list of the top 68 chemistry experiments so you can learn about chemical reactions.

While the theories and laws governing chemistry can sometimes feel abstract, experiments bridge the gap between these concepts and their tangible manifestations. These experiments provide hands-on experiences illuminating the intricacies of chemical reactions, molecular structures, and elemental properties.

1. Covalent Bonds

By engaging in activities that demonstrate the formation and properties of covalent bonds, students can grasp the significance of these bonds in holding atoms together and shaping the world around us.

Learn more: Covalent Bonds

2. Sulfuric Acid and Sugar Demonstration

Through this experiment, students can develop a deeper understanding of chemical properties, appreciate the power of chemical reactions, and ignite their passion for scientific exploration.

3. Make Hot Ice at Home

Making hot ice at home is a fascinating chemistry experiment that allows students to witness the captivating transformation of a liquid into a solid with a surprising twist.

4. Make a Bouncing Polymer Ball

This hands-on activity not only allows students to explore the fascinating properties of polymers but also encourages experimentation and creativity.

Learn more: Thought Co

5. Diffusion Watercolor Art

This experiment offers a wonderful opportunity for students to explore the properties of pigments, observe how they interact with water, and discover the mesmerizing patterns and textures that emerge.

Learn more: Diffusion Watercolor Art

6. Exploding Baggie

The exploding baggie experiment is a captivating and dynamic demonstration that students should engage in with caution and under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

Learn more: Exploding Baggie

7. Color Changing Chemistry Clock

This experiment not only engages students in the world of chemical kinetics but also introduces them to the concept of a chemical clock, where the color change acts as a timekeeping mechanism.

Learn more: Color Changing Chemistry Clock

8. Pipe Cleaner Crystal Trees

By adjusting the concentration of the Borax solution or experimenting with different pipe cleaner arrangements, students can customize their crystal trees and observe how it affects the growth patterns.

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Crystal Trees

9. How To Make Ice Sculptures

Through this experiment, students gain a deeper understanding of the physical and chemical changes that occur when water freezes and melts.

Learn more: Ice Sculpture

10. How to Make Paper

Through this hands-on activity, students gain a deeper understanding of the properties of cellulose fibers and the transformative power of chemical reactions.

Learn more: How to Make Paper

11. Color Changing Chemistry

Color changing chemistry is an enchanting experiment that offers a captivating blend of science and art. Students should embark on this colorful journey to witness the mesmerizing transformations of chemicals and explore the principles of chemical reactions.

12. Gassy Banana

The gassy banana experiment is a fun and interactive way for students to explore the principles of chemical reactions and gas production.

Learn more: Gassy Banana

13. Gingerbread Man Chemistry Experiment

This hands-on activity not only introduces students to the concepts of chemical leavening and heat-induced reactions but also allows for creativity in decorating and personalizing their gingerbread creations.

Learn more: Gingerbread Man Chemistry Experiment

14. Make Amortentia Potion

While the love potion is fictional, this activity offers a chance to explore the art of potion-making and the chemistry behind it.

Learn more: How to Make Amortentia Potion

15. Strawberry DNA Extraction

This hands-on experiment offers a unique opportunity to observe DNA, the building blocks of life, up close and learn about its structure and properties.

16. Melting Snowman

The melting snowman experiment is a fun and whimsical activity that allows students to explore the principles of heat transfer and phase changes.

Learn more: Melting Snowman

17. Acid Base Cabbage Juice

The acid-base cabbage juice experiment is an engaging and colorful activity that allows students to explore the pH scale and the properties of acids and bases.

By extracting the purple pigment from red cabbage leaves and creating cabbage juice, students can use this natural indicator to identify and differentiate between acidic and basic substances.

Learn more: Acid Base Cabbage Juice

18. Magic Milk

The magic milk experiment is a mesmerizing and educational activity that allows students to explore the concepts of surface tension and chemical reactions.

By adding drops of different food colors to a dish of milk and then introducing a small amount of dish soap, students can witness a captivating display of swirling colors and patterns.

Learn more: Magic Milk

19. Melting Ice with Salt and Water

Through this hands-on activity, students can gain a deeper understanding of the science behind de-icing and how different substances can influence the physical properties of water.

Learn more: Melting Ice with Salt and Water

20. Barking Dog Chemistry Demonstration

The barking dog chemistry demonstration is an exciting and visually captivating experiment that showcases the principles of combustion and gas production.

21. How to Make Egg Geodes

Making egg geodes is a fascinating and creative chemistry experiment that students should try. By using common materials like eggshells, salt, and food coloring, students can create their own beautiful geode-like crystals.

Learn more: How to Make Egg Geodes

22. Make Sherbet

This experiment not only engages the taste buds but also introduces concepts of acidity, solubility, and the chemical reactions that occur when the sherbet comes into contact with moisture.

Learn more: Make Sherbet

23. Hatch a Baking Soda Dinosaur Egg

As the baking soda dries and hardens around the toy, it forms a “shell” resembling a dinosaur egg. To hatch the egg, students can pour vinegar onto the shell, causing a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas.

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24. Chromatography Flowers

By analyzing the resulting patterns, students can gain insights into the different pigments present in flowers and the science behind their colors.

Learn more: Chromatography Flowers

25. Turn Juice Into Solid

Turning juice into a solid through gelification is an engaging and educational chemistry experiment that students should try. By exploring the transformation of a liquid into a solid, students can gain insights of chemical reactions and molecular interactions.

Learn more: Turn Juice into Solid

26. Bouncy Balls

Making bouncy balls allows students to explore the fascinating properties of polymers, such as their ability to stretch and rebound.

 27. Make a Lemon Battery

Creating a lemon battery is a captivating and hands-on experiment that allows students to explore the fundamentals of electricity and chemical reactions.

28. Mentos and Soda Project

The Mentos and soda project is a thrilling and explosive experiment that students should try. By dropping Mentos candies into a bottle of carbonated soda, an exciting eruption occurs.

29. Alkali Metal in Water

The reaction of alkali metals with water is a fascinating and visually captivating chemistry demonstration.

30. Rainbow Flame

The rainbow flame experiment is a captivating and visually stunning chemistry demonstration that students should explore.

31. Sugar Yeast Experiment

This experiment not only introduces students to the concept of fermentation but also allows them to witness the effects of a living organism, yeast, on the sugar substrate.

32. The Thermite Reaction

The thermite reaction is a highly energetic and visually striking chemical reaction that students can explore with caution and under proper supervision.

This experiment showcases the principles of exothermic reactions, oxidation-reduction, and the high temperatures that can be achieved through chemical reactions.

33. Polishing Pennies

Polishing pennies is a simple and enjoyable chemistry experiment that allows students to explore the concepts of oxidation and cleaning methods.

34. Elephant Toothpaste

The elephant toothpaste experiment is a thrilling and visually captivating chemistry demonstration that students should try with caution and under the guidance of a knowledgeable instructor.

35. Magic Potion

Creating a magic potion is an exciting and imaginative activity that allows students to explore their creativity while learning about the principles of chemistry.

36. Color Changing Acid-Base Experiment

Through the color changing acid-base experiment, students can gain a deeper understanding of chemical reactions and the role of pH in our daily lives.

Learn more: Color Changing Acid-Base Experiment

37. Fill up a Balloon

Filling up a balloon is a simple and enjoyable physics experiment that demonstrates the properties of air pressure. By blowing air into a balloon, you can observe how the balloon expands and becomes inflated.

38. Jello and Vinegar

The combination of Jello and vinegar is a fascinating and tasty chemistry experiment that demonstrates the effects of acid on a gelatin-based substance.

Learn more: Jello and Vinegar

39. Vinegar and Steel Wool Reaction

This experiment not only provides a visual demonstration of the oxidation process but also introduces students to the concept of corrosion and the role of acids in accelerating the process.

Learn more: Vinegar and Steel Wool Reaction

40. Dancing Rice

The dancing rice experiment is a captivating and educational demonstration that showcases the principles of density and buoyancy.

By pouring a small amount of uncooked rice into a clear container filled with water, students can witness the rice grains moving and “dancing” in the water.

Learn more: Dancing Rice

41. Soil Testing Garden Science

Soil testing is a valuable and informative experiment that allows students to assess the composition and properties of soil.

By collecting soil samples from different locations and analyzing them, students can gain insights into the nutrient content, pH level, and texture of the soil.

Learn more: Soil Testing Garden Science

42. Heat Sensitive Color Changing Slime

Creating heat-sensitive color-changing slime is a captivating and playful chemistry experiment that students should try.

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43. Experimenting with Viscosity

Experimenting with viscosity is an engaging and hands-on activity that allows students to explore the flow properties of liquids.

Viscosity refers to a liquid’s resistance to flow, and this experiment enables students to investigate how different factors affect viscosity.

Learn more: Experimenting with Viscosity

44. Rock Candy Science

Rock candy science is a delightful and educational chemistry experiment that students should try. By growing their own rock candy crystals, students can learn about crystal formation and explore the principles of solubility and saturation.

Learn more: Rock Candy Science

45. Baking Soda vs Baking Powder

Baking soda and baking powder have distinct properties that influence the leavening process in different ways.

This hands-on experiment provides a practical understanding of how these ingredients interact with acids and moisture to create carbon dioxide gas.

46. Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions Experiment

The endothermic and exothermic reactions experiment is an exciting and informative chemistry exploration that students should try.

By observing and comparing the heat changes in different reactions, students can gain a deeper understanding of energy transfer and the concepts of endothermic and exothermic processes.

Learn more: Education.com

47. Diaper Chemistry

By dissecting a diaper and examining its components, students can uncover the chemical processes that make diapers so effective at absorbing and retaining liquids.

Learn more: Diaper Chemistry

48. Candle Chemical Reaction

The “Flame out” experiment is an intriguing and educational chemistry demonstration that students should try. By exploring the effects of a chemical reaction on a burning candle, students can witness the captivating moment when the flame is extinguished.

49. Make Curds and Whey

This experiment not only introduces students to the concept of acid-base reactions but also offers an opportunity to explore the science behind cheese-making.

Learn more: Tinkerlab

50. Grow Crystals Overnight

By creating a supersaturated solution using substances like epsom salt, sugar, or borax, students can observe the fascinating process of crystal growth. This experiment allows students to explore the principles of solubility, saturation, and nucleation.

Learn more: Grow Crystals Overnight

51. Measure Electrolytes in Sports Drinks

The “Measure Electrolytes in Sports Drinks” experiment is an informative and practical chemistry activity that students should try.

By using simple tools like a multimeter or conductivity probe, students can measure the electrical conductivity of different sports drinks to determine their electrolyte content.

52. Oxygen and Fire Experiment

The oxygen and fire experiment is a captivating and educational chemistry demonstration that students should try. By observing the effects of oxygen on a controlled fire, students can witness the essential role of oxygen in supporting combustion.

53. Electrolysis Of Water

The electrolysis of water experiment is a captivating and educational chemistry demonstration that students should try.

Learn more: Electrolysis Of Water

54. Expanding Ivory Soap

The expanding Ivory Soap experiment is a fun and interactive chemistry activity that students should try. By placing a bar of Ivory soap in a microwave, students can witness the remarkable expansion of the soap as it heats up.

Learn more: Little Bins Little Hands

55. Glowing Fireworks

This experiment not only introduces students to the principles of pyrotechnics and combustion but also encourages observation, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the physics and chemistry behind.

Learn more: Glowing Fireworks

56. Colorful Polymer Chemistry

Colorful polymer chemistry is an exciting and vibrant experiment that students should try to explore polymers and colorants.

By combining different types of polymers with various colorants, such as food coloring or pigments, students can create a kaleidoscope of colors in their polymer creations.

Learn more: Colorful Polymer Chemistry

57. Sulfur Hexafluoride- Deep Voice Gas

This experiment provides a firsthand experience of how the density and composition of gases can influence sound transmission.

It encourages scientific curiosity, observation, and a sense of wonder as students witness the surprising transformation of their voices.

58. Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

Liquid nitrogen ice cream is a thrilling and delicious chemistry experiment that students should try. By combining cream, sugar, and flavorings with liquid nitrogen, students can create ice cream with a unique and creamy texture.

59. White Smoke Chemistry Demonstration

The White Smoke Chemistry Demonstration provides an engaging and visually captivating experience for students to explore chemical reactions and gases. By combining hydrochloric acid and ammonia solutions, students can witness the mesmerizing formation of white smoke.

60. Nitrogen Triiodide Chemistry Demonstration

The nitrogen triiodide chemistry demonstration is a remarkable and attention-grabbing experiment that students should try under the guidance of a knowledgeable instructor.

By reacting iodine crystals with concentrated ammonia, students can precipitate nitrogen triiodide (NI3), a highly sensitive compound.

61. Make a Plastic- Milk And Vinegar Reaction Experiment

Through the “Make a Plastic – Milk and Vinegar Reaction” experiment, students can gain a deeper understanding of the chemistry behind plastics, environmental sustainability, and the potential of biodegradable materials.

Learn more: Rookie Parenting

62. Eno and Water Experiment

This experiment not only introduces students to acid-base reactions but also engages their senses as they witness the visible and audible effects of the reaction.

63. The Eternal Kettle Experiment

By filling a kettle with alcohol and igniting it, students can investigate the behavior of the alcohol flame and its sustainability.

64. Coke and Chlorine Bombs

Engaging in this experiment allows students to experience the wonders of chemistry firsthand, making it an ideal choice to ignite their curiosity and passion for scientific exploration.

65. Set your Hand on Fire

This experiment showcases the fascinating nature of combustion and the science behind fire.

By carefully following proper procedures and safety guidelines, students can witness firsthand how the sanitizer’s high alcohol content interacts with an open flame, resulting in a brief but captivating display of controlled combustion.

66. Instant Ice Experiments

The Instant Ice Experiment offers an engaging and captivating opportunity for students to explore the wonders of chemistry and phase changes.

By using simple household ingredients, students can witness the fascinating phenomenon of rapid ice formation in just a matter of seconds.

67. Coke Cans in Acid and Base

Engaging in this experiment allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the chemical properties of substances and the importance of safety protocols in scientific investigations.

68. Color Changing Invisible Ink

The Color Changing Invisible Ink experiment offers an intriguing and fun opportunity for students to explore chemistry and learn about the concept of chemical reactions.

Learn more: Research Parent

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Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Nature - What makes a great lab?
• The National Academies Press - Introduction, History, and Definition of Laboratories
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• Science Tools - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)

laboratory , Place where scientific research and development is conducted and analyses performed, in contrast with the field or factory. Most laboratories are characterized by controlled uniformity of conditions (constant temperature , humidity, cleanliness). Modern laboratories use a vast number of instruments and procedures to study, systematize, or quantify the objects of their attention. Procedures often include sampling, pretreatment and treatment, measurement , calculation, and presentation of results; each may be carried out by techniques ranging from having an unaided person use crude tools to running an automated analysis system with computer controls, data storage, and elaborate readouts.

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Chemistry is a laboratory science and cannot be effectively taught without a robust laboratory experience for students at both the middle and high school levels. The identification, manipulation, and general use of laboratory equipment are integral parts of the subject. A school laboratory should have equipment to conduct meaningful demonstrations and experiments.

The laboratory environment must be accessible to all students and maintained with safety in mind. Teachers should use safety measures to protect students and themselves during any investigation. With appropriate accommodations, students with limited strength or mobility can participate in the laboratory experience.

Three Parts of Lab

Instruction that is student-centered and emphasizes the role of laboratory demonstrations and experiments is the best method to ensure students develop the essential skills of science. Laboratory investigations should come in three phases: the pre-lab, the lab experience, and the post-lab.

In the pre-lab, students should consider the concept or principle to be investigated. This gives them the opportunity to make predictions and hypotheses. Effective pre-lab questions can prompt students to review and recall previously learned concepts that are pertinent to the investigation. This is also an opportunity to discuss safety protocols for the lab and introduce any new lab equipment they will use.

2. Lab Experience

The lab experience allows students to learn how to plan their actions and to identify and control variables. During the investigation, they will observe, measure, classify, and record data. They must conduct all labs following safety guidelines. Incorporating technology into lab investigations may enhance how students collect and manipulate data (see Technology in the Lab).

3. Post-Lab

The post-lab provides an opportunity for students to analyze and interpret data, evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure, formulate models, and communicate their findings in written and oral formats. Students can also relate or compare results and concepts with classmates and to previously learned phenomena. It’s important to emphasize during this part that collecting the same data does not mean final reports will be the same; there’s a difference between collaborating and copying. Each student will grapple with the data a little differently and express their findings using their own voice. The post-lab is also a time for students to evaluate the safety guidelines that were presented in the pre-lab.

Download an infographic that illustrates the three parts of a lab.

The laboratory experience is an opportunity for students to test scientific hypotheses and not simply verify predicted outcomes. In this vein, do not hesitate to repeat experiments. Focus on different aspects of the reaction through a different lens so students can realize a new concept.

Let's Begin

It is often appropriate to begin a unit with an investigation (especially discovery-style activities). This creates a concrete and unified example that students can relate back to as they study concepts throughout a unit.

Laboratory work should be an integral part of the curriculum and appropriately fit into the lesson structure—labs should not be done for the sake of doing them; students should be able to draw a conclusion from the investigation that relates to the concepts in the unit.

Middle School Modifications

Middle school chemistry classrooms can function very much like those  in high school, even without dedicated lab stations. Simple household materials and safe kitchen chemicals can be used to foster inquiry, gather data, interpret results, and explore phenomena.

Middleschoolchemistry.com provides a comprehensive curriculum with videos, simulations, demonstrations, and labs that are age appropriate.

Many resources are available for planning student-centered laboratory instruction. The Chemical Education Xchange regularly publishes blog posts by teachers about activities they are doing with their students; AACT has a library of resources to pull from as well as a quarterly periodical written by chemistry teachers about what they practice in their classrooms; most science supply companies, including Flinn Scientific, Carolina Biological, Sargent Welch, and others, have many lab and demonstration materials available for purchase; ACS publishes a variety of chemical demonstration books ; and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) offers many resources about lab investigations in the chemistry classroom.

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For example, carrying out the simple reaction between CuSO 4 and Al illustrates many concepts of chemistry.

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There’s nothing wrong with repeating this reaction multiple times throughout the year to show that the reaction always has the same outcome and shows evidence of many types of chemical phenomena.

ACS Guidelines and Recommendations for Teaching Middle and High School Chemistry

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Laboratory Experiments

Last updated 22 Mar 2021

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Experiments look for the effect that manipulated variables (independent variables, or IVs) have on measured variables (dependent variables, or DVs), i.e. causal effects.

Laboratory experiments pay particular attention to eliminating the effects of other, extraneous variables, by controlling them (i.e. removing or keeping them constant) in an artificial environment. This makes it more likely for researchers to find a causal effect, having confidence that no variables other than changes in an IV can affect a resulting DV. Laboratory experiments are the most heavily controlled form of experimental research.

Participants can also be randomly allocated to experimental conditions, to avoid experimenter bias (i.e. the experimenter cannot be accused of choosing who will be in each experimental condition, which could affect the results).

Evaluation of laboratory experiments:

- High control over extraneous variables means that they cannot confound the results, so a ‘cause and effect’ relationship between the IV and DV is often assumed.

- Results of laboratory experiments tend to be reliable, as the conditions created (and thus results produced) can be replicated.

- Variables can be measured accurately with the tools made available in a laboratory setting, which may otherwise be impossible for experiments conducted ‘in the field’ (field experiments).

- Data collected may lack ecological validity, as the artificial nature of laboratory experiments can cast doubt over whether the results reflect the nature of real life scenarios.

- There is a high risk of demand characteristics, i.e. participants may alter their behaviour based on their interpretation of the purpose of the experiment.

- There is also a risk of experimenter bias, e.g. researchers’ expectations may affect how they interact with participants (affecting participants’ behaviour), or alter their interpretation of the results.

• Laboratory Experiment

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Laboratory Experiment

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• First Online: 16 April 2024
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• Zhu Ying 2 &
• Zhang Kan 3  

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Laboratory experiment refers to the psychological experiment conducted in a laboratory setting. In the laboratory experiment, the causal relationship between variables is explored through strict control of experimental conditions and study variables. It serves as one of the important methods of psychological research. Before the middle of the nineteenth century, the methods of observing nature and summarizing one’s own experience were mainly used in psychological research. Ernst Heinrich Weber determined the two-point threshold and the weight difference threshold in 1834, Gustav Theodor Fechner founded the psychophysical methods in 1860, and William James established the psychology laboratory for demonstration in the United States in 1875, both of which were actually early laboratory experiments in psychological research. Since Wilhelm Wundt has established the laboratory especially for psychological research in 1879 at Leipzig University in Germany, and Wundt himself has been...

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Kantowitz BH, Roediger HL, Elmes DG (2015) Experimental psychology, 10th edn. Cengage Learning, Boston

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Zhang X-M, Hua S (2014) Experimental psychology. Beijing Normal University Publishing Group, Beijing

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Ying, Z., Kan, Z. (2024). Laboratory Experiment. In: The ECPH Encyclopedia of Psychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6000-2_786-1

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Methodology

• What Is a Controlled Experiment? | Definitions & Examples

What Is a Controlled Experiment? | Definitions & Examples

Published on April 19, 2021 by Pritha Bhandari . Revised on June 22, 2023.

In experiments , researchers manipulate independent variables to test their effects on dependent variables. In a controlled experiment , all variables other than the independent variable are controlled or held constant so they don’t influence the dependent variable.

Controlling variables can involve:

• holding variables at a constant or restricted level (e.g., keeping room temperature fixed).
• measuring variables to statistically control for them in your analyses.
• balancing variables across your experiment through randomization (e.g., using a random order of tasks).

Table of contents

Why does control matter in experiments, methods of control, problems with controlled experiments, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about controlled experiments.

Control in experiments is critical for internal validity , which allows you to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables. Strong validity also helps you avoid research biases , particularly ones related to issues with generalizability (like sampling bias and selection bias .)

• Your independent variable is the color used in advertising.
• Your dependent variable is the price that participants are willing to pay for a standard fast food meal.

Extraneous variables are factors that you’re not interested in studying, but that can still influence the dependent variable. For strong internal validity, you need to remove their effects from your experiment.

• Design and description of the meal,
• Study environment (e.g., temperature or lighting),
• Participant’s frequency of buying fast food,
• Participant’s familiarity with the specific fast food brand,
• Participant’s socioeconomic status.

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You can control some variables by standardizing your data collection procedures. All participants should be tested in the same environment with identical materials. Only the independent variable (e.g., ad color) should be systematically changed between groups.

Other extraneous variables can be controlled through your sampling procedures . Ideally, you’ll select a sample that’s representative of your target population by using relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria (e.g., including participants from a specific income bracket, and not including participants with color blindness).

By measuring extraneous participant variables (e.g., age or gender) that may affect your experimental results, you can also include them in later analyses.

After gathering your participants, you’ll need to place them into groups to test different independent variable treatments. The types of groups and method of assigning participants to groups will help you implement control in your experiment.

Control groups

Controlled experiments require control groups . Control groups allow you to test a comparable treatment, no treatment, or a fake treatment (e.g., a placebo to control for a placebo effect ), and compare the outcome with your experimental treatment.

You can assess whether it’s your treatment specifically that caused the outcomes, or whether time or any other treatment might have resulted in the same effects.

To test the effect of colors in advertising, each participant is placed in one of two groups:

• A control group that’s presented with red advertisements for a fast food meal.
• An experimental group that’s presented with green advertisements for the same fast food meal.

Random assignment

To avoid systematic differences and selection bias between the participants in your control and treatment groups, you should use random assignment .

This helps ensure that any extraneous participant variables are evenly distributed, allowing for a valid comparison between groups .

Random assignment is a hallmark of a “true experiment”—it differentiates true experiments from quasi-experiments .

Masking (blinding)

Masking in experiments means hiding condition assignment from participants or researchers—or, in a double-blind study , from both. It’s often used in clinical studies that test new treatments or drugs and is critical for avoiding several types of research bias .

Sometimes, researchers may unintentionally encourage participants to behave in ways that support their hypotheses , leading to observer bias . In other cases, cues in the study environment may signal the goal of the experiment to participants and influence their responses. These are called demand characteristics . If participants behave a particular way due to awareness of being observed (called a Hawthorne effect ), your results could be invalidated.

Using masking means that participants don’t know whether they’re in the control group or the experimental group. This helps you control biases from participants or researchers that could influence your study results.

You use an online survey form to present the advertisements to participants, and you leave the room while each participant completes the survey on the computer so that you can’t tell which condition each participant was in.

Although controlled experiments are the strongest way to test causal relationships, they also involve some challenges.

Difficult to control all variables

Especially in research with human participants, it’s impossible to hold all extraneous variables constant, because every individual has different experiences that may influence their perception, attitudes, or behaviors.

But measuring or restricting extraneous variables allows you to limit their influence or statistically control for them in your study.

Risk of low external validity

Controlled experiments have disadvantages when it comes to external validity —the extent to which your results can be generalized to broad populations and settings.

The more controlled your experiment is, the less it resembles real world contexts. That makes it harder to apply your findings outside of a controlled setting.

There’s always a tradeoff between internal and external validity . It’s important to consider your research aims when deciding whether to prioritize control or generalizability in your experiment.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Student’s  t -distribution
• Normal distribution
• Null and Alternative Hypotheses
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Data cleansing
• Reproducibility vs Replicability
• Peer review
• Prospective cohort study

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Placebo effect
• Hawthorne effect
• Hindsight bias
• Affect heuristic
• Social desirability bias

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In a controlled experiment , all extraneous variables are held constant so that they can’t influence the results. Controlled experiments require:

• A control group that receives a standard treatment, a fake treatment, or no treatment.
• Random assignment of participants to ensure the groups are equivalent.

Depending on your study topic, there are various other methods of controlling variables .

An experimental group, also known as a treatment group, receives the treatment whose effect researchers wish to study, whereas a control group does not. They should be identical in all other ways.

Experimental design means planning a set of procedures to investigate a relationship between variables . To design a controlled experiment, you need:

• A testable hypothesis
• At least one independent variable that can be precisely manipulated
• At least one dependent variable that can be precisely measured

When designing the experiment, you decide:

• How you will manipulate the variable(s)
• How you will control for any potential confounding variables
• How many subjects or samples will be included in the study
• How subjects will be assigned to treatment levels

Experimental design is essential to the internal and external validity of your experiment.

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The 10 Most Important Lab Safety Rules

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The science lab is an inherently dangerous place, with fire hazards, dangerous chemicals, and risky procedures. No one wants to have an accident in the lab, so it's imperative to follow lab safety rules. 

Key rules include following all instructions carefully, knowing the location and proper use of safety equipment, and dressing appropriately for lab work. These precautions help ensure a safer environment and minimize the risk of accidents. Here are the most important lab safety rules and why you must follow them.

The Most Important Lab Safety Rule

Follow the instructions. Whether it's listening to your instructor or lab supervisor or following a procedure in a book, it's critical to listen, pay attention, and be familiar with all the steps, from start to finish, before you begin. If you are unclear about any point or have questions, get them answered before starting, even if it's a question about a step later on in the protocol. Know how to use all of the lab equipment before you begin.

Why is this the most important rule? If you don't follow it:

• You endanger yourself and others in the lab.
• You could easily ruin your experiment.
• You put the lab at risk of an accident, which could damage equipment as well as harm people.
• You could get suspended (if you're a student) or fired (if you're a researcher).

Know the Location of Safety Equipment

In the event something goes wrong, it's important to know the location of the safety equipment and how to use it. It's a good idea to periodically check equipment to make sure it is in working order. For example, does water actually come out of the safety shower? Does the water in the eye wash look clean?

Not sure where safety equipment is located? Review lab safety signs and look for them before starting an experiment.

Dress for the Lab

Dress for the lab. This is a safety rule because your clothing is one of your best forms of protection against an accident. For any science lab, wear covered shoes and long pants, and keep your hair up so it can't fall into your experiment or a flame.

Make sure you wear protective gear , as needed. Basics include a lab coat and safety goggles. You may also need gloves, hearing protection, and other items, depending on the nature of the experiment.

Don't Eat or Drink in the Laboratory

Save your snacking for the office, not the lab. Don't eat or drink in the science laboratory. Don't store your food or beverages in the same refrigerator that contains experiments, chemicals, or cultures.

• There is too much risk of contaminating your food. You could touch it with a hand that is coated with chemicals or pathogens or set it down on a lab bench that has residue from past experiments.
• Having drinks in the lab risks your experiment, too. You could spill a drink on your research or lab notebook.
• Eating and drinking in the lab is a form of distraction. If you are eating, you aren't concentrating on your work.
• If you're used to drinking liquids in the lab, you might accidentally reach for and drink the wrong liquid. This is especially true if you did not label your glassware or used lab glassware as dishes.

Don't Taste or Sniff Chemicals

Not only should you not bring in food or drinks, but you shouldn't taste or smell chemicals or biological cultures already in the lab. Tasting or smelling some chemicals can be dangerous or even deadly. The best way to know what's in a container is to label it, so get in the habit of making a label for glassware before adding the chemical.

Don't Play Mad Scientist in the Laboratory

Another important safety rule is to act responsibly in the lab; don't play Mad Scientist, randomly mixing chemicals to see what happens. The result could be an explosion, fire, or release of toxic gases .

Similarly, the laboratory is not the place for horseplay. You could break glassware, annoy others, and potentially cause an accident.

Dispose of Lab Waste Properly

Matthias Tunger/Getty Images

Another important laboratory safety rule is to know what to do with your experiment when it's over. Before you start an experiment, you should know what to do at the end. Don't leave your mess for the next person to clean up.

Here are some questions to consider:

• Are the chemicals safe to dump down the drain? If not, what do you do with them?
• If you have biological cultures, is it safe to clean up with soap and water or do you need an autoclave to kill dangerous organisms?
• Do you have broken glass or needles? Know the protocol for disposing of chemical sharps.

Know What to Do With Lab Accidents

 Getty Images/Oliver Sun Kim

Accidents happen, but you can do your best to prevent them and have a plan to follow when they occur. Most laboratories have a plan to follow in the event of an accident.

One particularly important safety rule is to tell a supervisor if and when an accident occurs . Don't lie about it or try to cover it up. If you get cut, exposed to a chemical, or bitten by a lab animal, or if you spill something, there could be consequences, and the danger isn't necessarily only to you. If you don't get the proper care, sometimes you could expose others to a toxin or pathogen. Also, if you don't admit to an accident, you could get your lab in a lot of trouble.

Leave Experiments at the Lab

Getty Images/G Robert Bishop

It's important, for your safety and the safety of others, to leave your experiment at the lab. Don't take it home with you. You could cause a spill, lose a specimen, or have an accident. This is how science fiction movies start. In real life, you can hurt someone, cause a fire, or lose your lab privileges.

While you should leave lab experiments at the lab, if you want to do science at home, there are many safe science experiments you can try.

Don't Experiment on Yourself

The premise of many a science fiction movie starts with a scientist conducting an experiment on him or herself. However, you won't gain superpowers or discover the secret to eternal youth. More than likely, whatever you accomplish will be at great personal risk.

Science means using the scientific method . You need data on multiple subjects to draw conclusions, but using yourself as a subject and self-experimenting is dangerous, not to mention bad science.

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Testing Laboratory Co-owner Sentenced for $3.8 Million in Fraudulent Billing

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a former St. Louis County health care company owner to 20 months in prison and fined him $100,000 for submitting more than $3.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private health care benefit programs. 

Carlos Himpler, now 44, owned or operated a series of health care-related businesses. Himpler’s co-defendant, Dr. Franco Sicuro, owned Advanced Geriatric Management LLC (AGM) in Creve Coeur, Missouri. In the fall of 2014, Himpler and Dr. Sicuro decided to open an in-house testing lab at AGM. They also opened Genotec DX, which they held out as a clinical testing laboratory, and which was in the same building and used the same testing machine as AGM’s lab.

Himpler and Dr. Sicuro sought accreditation for both labs under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which set forth quality standards for laboratories. They did not disclose that both labs would employ the same part-time employee who would perform tests using the same machine. To convince CLIA to grant Genotec a final certificate of compliance in November 2015, Himpler participated in causing Genotec to make misrepresentations to CLIA, including that Genotec’s testing hours “changed” so that they no longer overlapped with AGM. The misrepresentations also included claims that AGM stopped lab running samples and transferred its employees to Genotec in July of 2015, and that Genotec did not begin running samples until July of 2015. In reality, the AGM lab continued operating after July 2015 and Genotec started testing months before then.   The pair concealed Sicuro’s co-ownership of Genotec from Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers, while referring urine specimens from Sicuro’s own practice, AGM, to Genotec.

Himpler and Sicuro and other health care providers at AGM ordered urine toxicology tests for patients and referred those tests to AGM’s lab and Genotec, which in turn sent the samples to outside “reference” laboratories. Both men knew AGM and Genotec did not have the necessary testing equipment to confirm the amount of given toxin in the urine testing to a high degree of certainty, Himpler’s plea says. They then billed health insurers for the testing, despite knowing that Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurers bar “pass-through billing,” or billing for tests performed by others. 

When health insurers became resistant to paying Genotec claims, Himpler and Sicuro in March of 2015 created another laboratory company, Midwest Toxicology Group LLC, for the purpose of billing health insurers. Midwest was a lab in name only and was not authorized to perform tests on human specimens. Himpler and Sicuro never obtained a CLIA certification or any lab equipment for Midwest. In many instances, Himpler caused Genotec and Midwest to each submit claims for the testing of the same specimen obtained from the same person on the same day of service. The pair also falsely used Genotec’s CLIA number on claims submitted under Midwest’s name.

Himpler admitted in his plea agreement that Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers paid $1.4 million in pass-through billing and $2.4 million in split billing. 

“Today’s sentencing of Dr. Carlos Himpler demonstrates that HHS-OIG will continue to hold individuals who exploit federal health care programs accountable,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Health care providers have a responsibility to submit accurate and honest claims to federal health care programs, to ensure that these resources are available for eligible patients.”

Himpler, now of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a felony conspiracy charge.

Dr. Sicuro pleaded guilty in November 2022 and has satisfied the restitution owed. He also agreed to forfeit $3.1 million in assets.

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry, Amy Sestric and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.  

Robert Patrick, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected].

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Deadline looming —

Rocket lab entered “hero mode” to finish mars probes—now it’s up to blue origin, in order to send nasa's escapade mission to mars, blue origin must launch in september or october..

Stephen Clark - Aug 19, 2024 5:16 pm UTC

Two NASA spacecraft built by Rocket Lab are on the road from California to Florida this weekend to begin preparations for launch on Blue Origin's first New Glenn rocket.

These two science probes must launch between late September and mid-October to take advantage of a planetary alignment between Earth and Mars that only happens once every 26 months. NASA tapped Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space company, to launch the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission with a $20 million contract.

Last November, the space agency confirmed the $79 million ESCAPADE mission will launch on the inaugural flight of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. With this piece of information, the opaque schedule for Blue Origin's long-delayed first New Glenn mission suddenly became more clear.

The launch period opens on September 29. The two identical Mars-bound spacecraft for the ESCAPADE mission, nicknamed Blue and Gold, are now complete. Rocket Lab announced Friday that its manufacturing team packed the satellites and shipped them from their factory in Long Beach, California. Over the weekend, they arrived at a clean room facility just outside the gates of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where technicians will perform final checkups and load hydrazine fuel into both spacecraft, each a little more than a half-ton in mass.

Then, if Blue Origin is ready, ground teams will connect the ESCAPADE spacecraft with the New Glenn's launch adapter, encapsulate the probes inside the payload fairing, and mount them on top of the rocket.

"There's a whole bunch of checking and tests to make sure everything's OK, and then we move into fueling, and then we integrate with the launch vehicle. So it's a big milestone," said Rob Lillis, the mission's lead scientist from the University of California Berkeley's Space Science Laboratory. "There have been some challenges along the way. This wasn't easy to make happen on this schedule and for this cost. So we're very happy to be where we are."

Racing to the finish line

But there's a lot for Blue Origin to accomplish in the next couple of months if the New Glenn rocket is going to be ready to send the ESCAPADE mission toward Mars in this year's launch period. Blue Origin has not fully exercised a New Glenn rocket during a launch countdown, hasn't pumped a full load of cryogenic propellants into the launch vehicle, and hasn't test-fired a full complement of first stage or second stage engines.

These activities typically take place months before the first launch of a large new orbital-class rocket. For comparison, SpaceX test-fired its first fully assembled Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad about three months before its first flight in 2010. United Launch Alliance completed a hot-fire test of its new Vulcan rocket on the launch pad last year, about seven months before its inaugural flight.

However, Blue Origin is making visible progress toward the first flight of New Glenn, after years of speculation and few outward signs of advancement. Earlier this year, the company raised a full-scale, 320-foot-tall (98-meter) New Glenn rocket on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and loaded it with liquid nitrogen, a cryogenic substitute for the methane and liquid hydrogen fuel it will burn in flight.

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Candidates can apply by uploading a short cover letter as the first page of the CV with contact information for 2 references. 

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The Green DEI Lab (PI: Andre Green II; greendeilab.com ) is a part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Michigan. Our current focus is on determining the genetic and environmental basis of the iconic monarch butterfly migration. We are looking to bring on a full-time research technician to support research activities in the lab, primarily butterfly and hostplant husbandry. You will work onsite at the university's main campus (Biological Sciences Building) and in greenhouses at Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, MI. Work may also include travel to field sites (local as well as potential for domestic and/or international sites) for butterfly collection or associated experiments. The Green DEI lab is committed to public outreach, and as such the position may also include contributions to outreach initiatives through indirect support of lab outreach efforts (e.g. assistance in preparing demonstration materials), or if interested, through active engagement (e.g. public demonstrations).

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Responsibilities*

Butterfly and host plant husbandry (75%) - Manage the maintenance of the health and welfare of the lab's butterfly colonies and milkweed lines at all sites (Biological Sciences Building, Matthaei Botanical Gardens). Ensure compliance with laboratory protocols by lab members. Organize weekly schedules of lab member care duties. Maintain robust pest management practices and monitor compliance with laboratory protocols and standards by lab members. Keep detailed records of husbandry activities, including maintaining resource logs and databases (e.g. butterfly lines, crosses, etc.). Adhere to all University of Michigan policies and procedures for laboratory/greenhouse research. Work will include participating in cleaning and maintenance of equipment (e.g. butterfly cages, chambers, etc.). Husbandry work may include field expeditions for butterfly collections. Potential field sites include local (MI), domestic destinations (FL, TX, Guam), and potentially international destinations (e.g. Mexico, Costa Rica).

Lab management and maintenance (15%) - Responsible for ordering research and laboratory supplies and maintaining appropriate databases. Act as a primary resource for space safety management. Oversee lab members in basic lab maintenance tasks and lab safety. Assist with collection permit preparation and adherence.

Research support (10%) - Assist in analysis of results and preparation of figures for publication/presentation. Aid in lab public outreach efforts.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in biology, molecular biology, genetics, or related fields
• Keen attention to detail and exceptional organizational skills
• Ability to function on a team as well as to execute tasks independently

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes .

Additional Information

This is a one (1) year limited position with possibility of renewal dependent upon funding and mutual agreement pending performance review.

This position is considered to be exempt for purposes of federal wage-hour law and is not eligible for overtime pay for hours actually worked in excess of 40 in a given workweek.

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion in LSA, please visit lsa.umich.edu/lsa/dei .

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision .

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Review of applications will begin immediately. Targeted start date is between September 15 and October 1(in-person, splitting time between UM Biological Sciences Building and Matthaei Botanical Gardens).

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool's Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

Why Rocket Lab Stock Rocketed 18% Today

• Rocket Lab has shipped two new spacecraft to Cape Canaveral to perform an ESCAPADE mission for NASA.
• The ESCAPADE mission has a reported budget of $55 million.
• Rocket Lab keeps winning contracts by underpricing larger companies.
• Motley Fool Issues Rare “All In” Buy Alert

NASDAQ: RKLB

Rocket lab usa.

Rocket Lab stock isn't profitable yet, but it's moving in the right direction...and going to Mars!

Rocket Lab ( RKLB 9.60% ) investors are having a fantabulous week. Fresh off another successful space launch (this one for Capella Space ) and a powerful earnings report that showed sales rising 71% year over year, the tiny rocket company announced this morning that it has just shipped a pair of ESCAPADE spacecraft to Cape Canaveral for launching to Mars.

Result: Rocket Lab stock is up 18% through 1:45 p.m. ET.

Next stop: Mars

Rocket Lab built the Blue and Gold ESCAPADE (short for "Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers") spacecraft for the University of California Berkeley's Space Science Laboratory and NASA. Their mission will be to travel to Mars atop a Blue Origin rocket to conduct heliophysics research on the plasma and magnetic fields around the Red Planet.

More important to investors, Rocket Lab will also be trying to demonstrate that it can do space science missions for NASA at approximately one-tenth the cost of bigger space companies , such as Boeing , Lockheed Martin , and Northrop Grumman . To test that theory, NASA estimated the incumbents would probably charge on the order of $550 million for this mission.

Rocket Lab's budget was, therefore, capped at $55 million.

Is Rocket Lab stock a buy?

That's big money for a small company like Rocket Lab, equivalent to more than 22% of all the revenues the company took in last year. Crunching the numbers this week, TechCrunch noted that while Rocket Lab's price hasn't been disclosed, it likely has to share some of the $55 million with other participants in the NASA mission.

But no matter. However much Rocket Lab makes from this mission, if it's a success and proves to NASA that Rocket Lab can stick to a budget and underprice competitors, that's likely to win Rocket Lab even more business in the future.

As Rocket Lab continues to inch toward profitability ( S&P Global Market Intelligence predicts a first profit in 2027) and the company keeps landing high-profile contracts, Rocket Lab stock is looking more and more like a buy .

Rich Smith has positions in Rocket Lab USA. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin and Rocket Lab USA. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

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Another suit filed against FDA over lab-developed test rule

Trade group says the agency is overstepping its regulatory authority.

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By Lizzy Lawrence

Aug. 19, 2024

Medical Devices Reporter

A group representing molecular pathologists sued the Food and Drug Administration on Monday over its plan to regulate lab-developed tests. 

It’s the second legal challenge to the rule, following the American Clinical Laboratory Association’s suit in May . The suit, filed in Texas by the Association for Molecular Pathology and University of Texas pathologist Michael Laposata, claims that the FDA overstepped its regulatory bounds when deciding to regulate lab-developed tests. 

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“We filed this lawsuit to ask the Court to vacate the FDA rule given the agency’s lack of authority to regulate LDTs and to avert the significant and harmful disruption to laboratory medicine,” said AMP president Maria Arcila in a statement. 

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STAT’s investigation is based on interviews with nearly 100 people around the country, including incarcerated patients and grieving families, prison officials, and legal and medical experts. Reporter Nicholas Florko also filed more than 225 public records requests and combed through thousands of pages of legal filings to tell these stories. His analysis of deaths in custody is based on a special data use agreement between STAT and the Department of Justice.

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Column: The COVID lab leak claim isn’t just an attack on science, but a threat to public health

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Here’s an indisputable fact about the theory that COVID originated in a laboratory: Most Americans believe it to be true .

That’s important for several reasons. One is that evidence to support the theory is nonexistent. Another is that the claim itself has fomented a surge of attacks on science and scientists that threatens to drive promising researchers out of the crucial field of pandemic epidemiology.

That concern was aired in a commentary by 41 biologists, immunologists, virologists and physicians published Aug. 1 in the Journal of Virology . The journal probably isn’t in the libraries of ordinary readers, but the article’s prose is commendably clear and its conclusions eye-opening.

We now see a long-term risk of having fewer experts engaged in work that may help thwart future pandemics, and of fewer scientists willing to communicate the findings of sophisticated, fast-moving research topics that are important for global health.

— 41 scientists warn of the rise in anti-science disinformation

“The lab leak narrative fuels mistrust in science and public health infrastructures,” the authors observe. “Scientists and public health professionals stand between us and pandemic pathogens; these individuals are essential for anticipating, discovering, and mitigating future pandemic threats. Yet, scientists and public health professionals have been harmed and their institutions have been damaged by the skewed public and political opinions stirred by continued promotion of the lab leak hypothesis in the absence of evidence.”

Before exploring further how the lab leak theory has been exploited to undermine public confidence in science and scientists, let’s examine what’s known and unknown about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.

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The so-called zoonosis hypothesis, which is favored by the vast majority of the virological and epidemiological communities, is that the virus reached humans via a spillover from the animal kingdom, probably through the unregulated wildlife trade in Southeast Asia.

“Validating the zoonotic origin is a scientific question that relies on history, epidemiology, and genomic analysis, that when taken together, support a natural spillover as the probable origin,” the Virology paper states.

The lab leak theory holds that SARS-2 was created or manipulated into existence in the Wuhan Institute of Virology and escaped from the lab, whether deliberately or by accident.

Column: Anatomy of a smear — Fauci faces the House GOP’s clown show about COVID

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Lab leak adherents bristle at the accusation that they’re conspiracy-mongers. Anthony Fauci, the retired director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the target of some of the most febrile attacks from the anti-science crowd, acknowledged at a June 3 House hearing that the lab leak theory was not inherently a conspiracy theory , conceptually — but that it had been exploited to support some truly crazy conspiracy narratives.

Fauci testified that he remained open to a lab leak narrative in principle, and that if any evidence for it emerged he would consider it seriously. That’s typical of most scientists, especially biologists, who are led by the infinite variability of the natural world to be innately averse to declaring anything conclusively possible or impossible.

The fact is, however, that one can’t advance the lab leak theory without positing a vast conspiracy encompassing scientists in China and the U.S., and Chinese and U.S. government officials. How else could all the evidence of a laboratory event that resulted in more than 7 million deaths worldwide be kept entirely suppressed for nearly five years? Some external hint of the event inevitably would have surfaced somewhere, somehow, by now. None has.

“Validating the lab leak hypothesis requires intelligence evidence that the WIV possessed or carried out work on a SARS-CoV-2 precursor virus prior to the pandemic,” the Virology paper asserts. “Neither the scientific community nor multiple western intelligence agencies have found such evidence.”

Despite that, “the lab leak hypothesis receives persistent attention in the media, often without acknowledgment of the more solid evidence supporting zoonotic emergence,” the paper says. The paper doesn’t name all the media culprits, but they include the independent investigative news site ProPublica and Vanity Fair.

It does take direct aim, however, at the New York Times, which on June 3 published a column by researcher Alina Chan asserting that the “pandemic probably started in a lab.” In a 2021 book, Chan had aired almost identical arguments that were largely refuted by experts in the field . Her more recent article “misrepresents and underplays the existing scientific data supporting a zoonotic origin of SARS-CoV-2,” the Virology paper reported.

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I’ve written before about the smears , physical harassment and baseless accusations of fraud and other wrongdoing that lab leak propagandists have visited upon scientists whose work has challenged their claims; similar attacks have targeted experts who have worked to debunk other anti-science narratives, including those about global warming and vaccines.

Some of these attacks have come from elected officials seeking partisan cred, such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). They’ve been augmented by figures such as Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

What’s notable about the Virology paper is that it represents a comprehensive and long-overdue pushback by the scientific community against such behavior. More to the point, it focuses on the consequences for public health and the scientific mission from the rise of anti-science propaganda.

Its authors are drawn from the faculties of the state universities of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida and Ohio, as well as from Johns Hopkins, Duke and the Cleveland Clinic.

“Scientists have withdrawn from social media platforms, rejected opportunities to speak in public, and taken increased safety measures to protect themselves and their families,” the authors report.

“Some have even diverted their work to less controversial and less timely topics. We now see a long-term risk of having fewer experts engaged in work that may help thwart future pandemics, and of fewer scientists willing to communicate the findings of sophisticated, fast-moving research topics that are important for global health. ... Most worrisome for future preparedness, the next generation of scientists has well-founded fears about entering fields related to emerging viruses and pandemic science.”

The paper revisits the scene at the public interrogation by House Republicans on June 3. “The hearing,” it observes, “was often disrupted and marked by contentious, disrespectful, and unfounded calls for Dr. Fauci to be ‘prosecuted’ and imprisoned for ‘crimes against humanity.’”

By presupposing that evidence of a lab leak has been deliberately suppressed by leading scientists and scientific administrators, its promoters have cast “unsupported blame on scientists, many of whom had warned of the potential threat of, and need for effective countermeasures to prevent, zoonotic transfer of viruses into humans,” the authors write.

Column: Two Rutgers professors are accused of poisoning the debate over COVID’s origins. Here’s why

Richard Ebright and Bryce Nickels of Rutgers have labeled leading virologists fraudsters, perjurers, felons and murderers. Is this how scientific debate is supposed to be conducted?

March 20, 2024

At a certain level, the popular embrace of scientific conspiracy theories is understandable. As the Swiss molecular biologist and science writer Philipp Markolin has observed, disinformation relies on myths that provide simple explanations for traumatic world events, like the pandemic, by positing that it was caused by shadowy, powerful actors. There’s never a shortage of grifters and manipulators using this public confusion to their advantage.

Thanks in part to social media, anti-science has become more virulent and widespread, the Virology authors write. Large numbers of researchers into SARS-2 have reported “harassment ranging from personal insults to threats of violence, ‘ doxing ,’ and personal contact,” according to the paper — of 1,281 scientists in several fields who responded to a survey by Science, 51% said they had experienced at least one form of harassment, sometimes over a period of years.

The Virology authors warn that the vilification of scientists whose research supports the zoonosis hypothesis will leave society defenseless when the next pandemic threat emerges.

“If these narratives are left unchecked, we become a society that dismisses and vilifies those with expertise and experience relevant to the challenges we face,” the authors write. “We then base decisions affecting large populations worldwide on speculation or chosen beliefs that have no grounding in evidence-based science.”

That’s what the future holds if we allow misinformation and disinformation, weaponized by sociopaths seeking financial or partisan gain, to guide our actions. We have been warned.

Latest from Michael Hiltzik

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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Hiltzik has written for the Los Angeles Times for more than 40 years. His business column appears in print every Sunday and Wednesday, and occasionally on other days. Hiltzik and colleague Chuck Philips shared the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for articles exposing corruption in the entertainment industry. His seventh book, “Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America,” was published in 2020. His forthcoming book, “The Golden State,” is a history of California. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/hiltzikm and on Facebook at facebook.com/hiltzik.

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NASA and Rocket Lab aim to prove we can go to Mars for 1/10 the price

A pair of Rocket Lab-made spacecraft are about to embark on a two-step journey. The first step is the 55-hour, 2,500-mile stretch from California to the launch site at Cape Canaveral. The second step? Just 11 months and 230 million miles to Mars. 

The objective of the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission is to study the interaction between solar winds and the Martian atmosphere. The University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) developed the scientific payloads for the mission, but the satellite bus — the actual platform that will travel through space and host those payloads in an orbit around Mars — is all Rocket Lab. The mission is currently set to launch no earlier than October on the first launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, according to NASA .

While the company is best known for its Electron rocket, which is second only to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in terms of launch numbers, the majority of its revenue actually comes from building and selling spacecraft and spacecraft components. With ESCAPADE, Rocket Lab is looking to show both the space agency and the world that it can produce extremely high-performance spacecraft that are capable of journeying throughout the solar system. 

The company proved itself once when it built the satellite bus for NASA’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission to the moon in 2022. That spacecraft took a nearly five-month sojourn into deep space before entering lunar orbit. But getting to Mars takes significantly longer — and historically, it’s also been very, very expensive. Two recent missions that sent orbiters around the Red Planet, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2005 and MAVEN in 2013, each cost NASA over a half billion dollars. 

So in 2019, the space agency established the Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program to fund small spacecraft missions into deep space. Like other NASA programs established in recent years, it’s also an effort on the part of the agency to embrace risk. Instead of spending $550 million on a mission into deep space, NASA set a goal to spend just one-tenth of that and gave each SIMPLEx mission a $55 million price cap, excluding launch. ESCAPADE is one of three missions the agency selected under the SIMPLEx program, and in all likelihood, the first that will actually launch. 

Those funds went to the principal investigator for the mission, SSL, who contracted Rocket Lab for the two satellite buses. Rocket Lab isn’t saying how much of that $55 million went to them, but the lead systems engineer for ESCAPADE, Christophe Mandy, said the company was “two orders of magnitude cheaper than anything else.” 

The spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, are based on Rocket Lab’s Explorer platform (which gained flight heritage during CAPSTONE), known for its high delta-v capabilities to support missions of this kind. One of the biggest challenges for the Rocket Lab engineers was designing a spacecraft that can get from Earth orbit all the way to Mars; for that reason, the ESCAPADE spacecraft are about 70% fuel by mass. That fuel will make the spacecraft capable of about 3 kilometers per second of delta-v, or change in velocity, which is very high for a satellite of this size.

The other big challenge is that Rocket Lab didn’t know the launch provider until relatively late into the design process, when NASA selected New Glenn in February 2023. This unknown affected what are called the “driving constraints” for the spacecraft, or the factors that shape the engineer’s design decisions.

“Almost every single spacecraft I’ve ever seen has had launch vehicle as a driving constraint, but because we didn’t know what the launch vehicle was going to be, we did that differently,” Mandy said. “So we made an enormous amount of effort to make it so that the launch vehicle was not [a] driving constraint, which is just very unusual.” 

Instead, Rocket Lab engineers ended up basing much of the spacecraft design on another variable: the maximum amount of mass the spacecraft can take through a critical maneuver called the Mars orbital insertion (MOI), which is the maneuver the spacecraft will perform in deep space to enter Martian orbit. 

“So the amount of mass we have on the system is driven by physics, rather than by something man-made, like the launch vehicle,” Mandy said. But once the launch vehicle was selected, “we didn’t have to do the redesign, because our design was driven by other requirements.” 

These constraints helped push engineers to innovate. Instead of a box, the two spacecraft are basically “tank sandwiches,” as Mandy called them, with two decks connected by struts, with the fuel tanks in the middle. Typically, the primary structure of a satellite accounts for around 20-22% of its total mass; on ESCAPADE, thanks to the sandwich design, that number is just 12%.

These changes have escalating effects, Mandy said: Less mass in the primary structure means less fuel for that, which means a different tank size, and so on. Engineers also designed the spacecraft so that all the components that tend to get hot, like the flight computer and the radio, are near the one deck of the spacecraft, while all the components that have a tendency to get cold, like the propulsion system, are near the other. These changes mean that the spacecraft will need less power, smaller solar panels, fewer heaters, and many other effects. 

After launch, the spacecraft will spend 11 months traveling to Mars before performing that critical MOI burn. But the sun will be between Earth and Mars when the spacecraft are expected to perform the burn, making timely communication with them impossible. Rocket Lab engineers will have to wait another three months or so before sending a command to the spacecraft to start circularizing its orbit. Then the spacecraft will collect and transmit scientific data back to Earth for around 11 months. 

Mandy declined to say the exact launch window for the mission, saying that it’s up to Blue Origin to determine, but he did say that now is the peak of efficiency for the spacecraft’s travel, and that window extends “through several months after the peak.” If Blue Origin misses the window, the two companies and NASA will have to wait another 26 months until the ESCAPADE spacecraft can start unlocking the secrets of Mars.

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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Buena Park Police Department (@buena_park_pd)

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The Buena Park Police Department shared photos showing several packages of pills placed in various bags at the Orange County location. Other drugs and machinery used to manufacture drugs were also recovered and all hazardous materials were safely removed following the Wednesday discovery.

A 26-year-old Buena Park resident was involved in the suspected laboratory based in Fountain Valley, about 30 minutes away, police said.

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Fatal overdoses have been on an  upward trajectory since 2000 . At least  109,000 U.S. deaths  were reported in 2022, up past 100,000 in 2021. Most of the overdoses were due to synthetic  opioids  like fentanyl. 

Provisional  data  from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed overdose deaths through September 2023 increased about 2% compared to 2022.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas

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‘Lab-grown’ meat maker files lawsuit against Florida ban

FILE - Chef Mika Leon cooks cultivated chicken at a pop-up tasting for “lab-grown” meat produced by California-based Upside Foods, June 27, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A manufacturer of “lab-grown” meat has filed a lawsuit challenging a newly enacted Florida law that bans the sale of the product, arguing the restrictions give an unconstitutional advantage to Florida farmers over out-of-state competitors.

“If some Floridians don’t like the idea of eating cultivated chicken, there’s a simple solution: Don’t eat it,” said Paul Sherman, an attorney at the Institute for Justice, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. regulators first signed off on the sale of what’s known as “cell-cultured” or “cell-cultivated” meat in June of 2023. Sellers say the product is a more ethical and sustainable alternative to conventionally raised chicken, beef and pork.

But lawmakers in Florida and Alabama have called cultivated meat a threat to their states’ agriculture industries and banned the sale of the product, which is made of animal cells that are fed a mix of proteins, vitamins and water and then formed into nuggets, sausages and steaks.

Asked for comment on the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed to statements he made in May when he signed the state’s cultivated meat ban into law, flanked by cattle farmers.

“We stand with agriculture, we stand with the cattle ranchers, we stand with our farmers because we understand it’s important for the backbone of the state,” DeSantis said. “Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere.”

Upside Foods, the manufacturer behind the lawsuit, held a tasting party in Miami before the ban went into effect, plying guests with cultivated chicken tostadas garnished with avocado, chipotle crema and beet sprouts.

“This is delicious meat,” Upside Foods CEO and founder Uma Valeti said. “And we just fundamentally believe that people should have a choice to choose what they want to put on their plate.”

Valeti also noted that the meat his company produces is not coming from a lab but from a facility more closely resembling a brewery or a dairy processing plant.

___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.