Warning: Undefined array key "file" in /home/earthmov/public_html/wp-includes/media.php on line 1788
Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/earthmov/public_html/wp-includes/media.php:1788) in /home/earthmov/public_html/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1902
Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/earthmov/public_html/wp-includes/media.php:1788) in /home/earthmov/public_html/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1902
{"id":2325,"date":"2025-05-22T11:23:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earthmoves.vassarspaces.net\/?p=2325"},"modified":"2025-05-22T11:23:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:23:43","slug":"why-is-chemical-a-four-letter-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earthmoves.vassarspaces.net\/?p=2325","title":{"rendered":"Why is “chemical” a four-letter word?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
It’s weird how many people find any mention of chemicals such a turn off. I mean, we are made up of chemicals. We seek “chemistry” with others. We eat chemicals, drink chemicals. We lather chemicals onto our hair and skin. Why don’t we love learning about chemicals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most people, the first time they recall learning about chemicals as a subject in school is perhaps late grade school or middle school. Remember trying to memorize parts of the periodic table? Or, memorizing the states of matter? Or, perhaps worst is solving problems about density<\/mark><\/strong>? By middle school, most teachers start treating learning science-y or math-y stuff like this as hard<\/strong> or challenging<\/em>. Teachers try to force our thought processes and learning into “the scientific method.” We have to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Conduct observations<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n
Derive a hypothesis<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n
Design an experiment<\/mark> to test the hypothesis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Gather data<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n
Analyze the results<\/mark> (preferably using math and statistics)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Draw conclusions<\/mark> to support or refute the hypotheis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Refine and repeat<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
All so rigid! Gone were the grade school days where we just focused on the wonder of the world around us. When our teacher added two clear liquids together and the result was a brilliantly colored solution!<\/p>\n\n\n\n