Miscellaneous
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittensBacteria in blenders and bird poop confusionDoggies that drool when a little bell ringsThese are a few of our favorite things . . . More specifically, these are a few of Jocelyn and Bradley’s all-time favorite experiments in the history of science! This week, the hosts consider the role of experiment in the scientific process and the qualities that make an experiment especially significant or compelling. They highlight several “classic” experiments in physics, cosmology, genetics, molecular biology, and psychology, and they discuss how these experiments tested the limits of human ingenuity to crystallize key concepts and chart new directions for scientific research. Move over, Oprah—we’re releasing the first-ever list of our favorite things!Related episodes:The scientific method: Is it a thing? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/54-discussion-the-scientific-method-is-it-a-thing/id1471423633?i=1000485209730Research all the things! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/62-discussion-research-all-the-things/id1471423633?i=1000493142965Quantum whaaaat? (Part 1): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/30-discussion-quantum-whaaaat-part-1/id1471423633?i=1000464036509Quantum whatnot (Part 2): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/31-discussion-quantum-whatnot-part-2/id1471423633?i=1000464036508Further Reading:Cavendish experiment (1797-98):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_experimenthttps://youtu.be/2PdiUoKa9Nw* https://sciencedemonstrations.fas.harvard.edu/presentations/cavendish-experiment* Historical note: This resource—and Jocelyn during the episode—describes the source of light in the Cavendish experiment as a “laser beam.” Astute listeners will note that the laser (as in Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) was not built until 1960, so what Cavendish used in his original apparatus was a light source, but not a laser. Double-slit experiment (1801-03):For electrons: https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1119/1.2757621For large molecules: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/CP/c3cp51500a#!divAbstracthttps://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/what-does-the-new-double-slit-experiment-actually-show/Visual Tutorial: https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/interference/doubleslit/Class from Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/light-waves/interference-of-light-waves/v/youngs-double-split-part-1DIY: https://www.pasco.com/products/lab-apparatus/light-and-optics/diffraction/os-8531Mendel’s pea plants (1860s):https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-classical-genetics/hs-introduction-to-heredity/a/mendel-and-his-peashttps://youtu.be/Mehz7tCxjSEPavlov and classical conditioning (1897):https://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.htmlhttps://sites.psu.edu/intropsychf19grp7/2019/11/16/classical-conditioning-in-the-classroom/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2755398/https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/learning-slug/a/classical-and-operant-conditioning-articlehttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-003-1601-0https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=IH-5kY65FncC&oi=fnd&pg=PA107&dq=operant+conditioning+and+drug+addiction&ots=YtLNLzHgwr&sig=CTFxywXx8VqVXq2OUH98u1oektM#v=onepage&q=operant%20conditioning%20and%20drug%20addiction&f=falseRutherford gold foil experiment (1908-1915):https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1908/rutherford/biographical/http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/history/gold.htmlHershey-Chase experiments (early 1950s):https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/hershey-chase-experiments-1952-alfred-hershey-and-martha-chasehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hershey%E2%80%93Chase_experiment#/media/File:Hershey_Chase_experiment.png Cosmic Microwave Background (1965):https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-scientists-confirmed-big-bang-theory-owe-it-all-to-a-pigeon-trap-180949741/https://www.space.com/25945-cosmic-microwave-background-discovery-50th-anniversary.htmlhttp://redshift.vif.com/JournalFiles/Pre2001/V02NO3PDF/V02N3ASS.PDFhttps://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.16.405https://science.sciencemag.org/content/156/3778/1100.abstract