Hey there! I’m Julián from MinuteEarth. You might have noticed that my stick figure has a big head. I’m trying out an idea that making our stick figures’ heads bigger might get us more likes on our videos. Let’s see how that turned out. Sadly, it didn’t make any difference at all.
In science, when your data doesn’t support your idea, it’s called a “null result.” It might feel like a letdown, like you have nothing useful to share. But finding “nothing” is still important because it gives us new information. Sometimes, it shows us that what we thought was true isn’t actually correct.
Take doctors, for example. They used to think that if a pregnant person with certain risks moved around too much, the baby might be born too early. So, they often told them to stay in bed for a long time, even though that had its own problems. But after many studies, they found out that bed rest doesn’t actually help prevent early births. This new knowledge changed how doctors approach this issue.
Null results also help scientists avoid wasting time on ideas that don’t work. For years, physicists have been trying to find dark matter, which makes up most of the universe. It’s called “dark” because it’s hard to detect. Thanks to null results, scientists are getting closer. Each time they don’t find dark matter particles of a certain size, they can rule out that size and focus on other possibilities.
It’s like searching for a lost phone—if you don’t find it in one place, you know where it isn’t, so you can look somewhere else. When scientists finally discover dark matter, it will be because of all the experiments that found “nothing.”
Null results don’t always lead to big discoveries like understanding the universe or improving health. Sometimes, they’re just ordinary findings—like learning that bigger heads don’t get more likes, or that eating chocolate doesn’t make you smarter.
But being wrong isn’t a failure; it’s part of learning. Science is all about understanding the world better. So, let’s appreciate those null results and keep exploring!
This video was sponsored by Patrick Olson’s new album, “Music For Scientists.” The album explores how art and science connect, and the song “The Idea” talks about testing ideas, being wrong, and trying again. We even used the song’s baseline for this video’s background music! Check out the song and video through the link in the description and let them know MinuteEarth sent you!
Conduct a simple experiment where you predict an outcome, such as whether a plant grows faster with music. Document your hypothesis, method, and results. Discuss what it means if your results show no difference, and how this null result can still provide valuable insights.
Research a real-life scientific study that resulted in a null result, like the bed rest example from the article. Present your findings to the class, explaining how this null result impacted scientific understanding or practices.
Imagine you are a scientist searching for dark matter. Create a poster that illustrates the process of ruling out possibilities through null results. Highlight how each null result helps narrow down the search for dark matter.
Write a short story or comic strip about a character who learns something valuable from being wrong. Reflect on how this experience helps them grow and understand the world better, just like scientists do with null results.
Listen to Patrick Olson’s song “The Idea” and analyze its lyrics. Discuss in groups how the themes of testing ideas and learning from mistakes relate to scientific exploration and the concept of null results.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, this is Julián from MinuteEarth. You may have noticed that my stick figure has a large head. I’m testing a hypothesis that increasing the size of our stick figures’ heads will increase likes on our videos; let’s check the results of this study. Unfortunately, there was no effect at all.
In science, when the data does not support your hypothesis, it’s called a “null result.” Being wrong can feel like a setback, as if I have nothing useful to report back to the MinuteEarth team. However, finding “nothing” or no effect is still valuable because it provides knowledge that we didn’t have before. Sometimes, this new information reveals that what we thought was true isn’t.
For example, doctors have long believed that if a pregnant person with certain risk factors moved around too much, the baby could be born prematurely. As a result, doctors often recommended extended bed rest, even though that comes with its own risks. Over the years, numerous studies have shown that bed rest has no effect on premature birth, effectively putting that rationale to rest.
Null results can also help eliminate unproductive research paths. For decades, physicists have been trying to directly detect dark matter, which likely accounts for most of the matter in our universe. Its elusive nature is why it’s called “dark.” We’re getting closer, thanks to null results. Some dark matter detectors are calibrated to find particles of a certain size, so each time they fail to detect anything, scientists can rule out that size as a possibility, adjust their models and equipment, and narrow their search.
It’s similar to looking for a lost phone—if you don’t find it where you look, you learn where it isn’t, allowing you to focus your efforts elsewhere. If and when scientists finally detect dark matter, it will be due to the many previous experiments that found “nothing.”
Null results don’t always lead to significant discoveries like unlocking the secrets of the universe or improving health outcomes. In fact, they can often be quite mundane—sometimes you just learn that larger heads don’t increase likes, or as a real study found, eating chocolate doesn’t make you smarter.
But being wrong is not a failure; you’re still learning something new, and science is all about increasing our understanding of the world around us. So, let’s appreciate those null results without getting too carried away.
This video was sponsored by Patrick Olson’s new album, Music For Scientists. The album explores the relationship between art and science, and the song “The Idea” focuses on the process of testing ideas in science, being wrong, and having to rework the formula. We even reworked the baseline of that song to create the background music for this video! To hear the song and see the music video, click on the link in the description and let them know that MinuteEarth sent you!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Science – The study of the natural world through observation and experiment. – Science helps us understand how the world works, from the smallest atoms to the vast universe.
Null – Having no value or effect; often used to describe a result that shows no significant change or difference. – The experiment’s null result indicated that the new material did not conduct electricity as expected.
Results – The outcome or data obtained from an experiment or study. – The results of the physics experiment showed that the speed of light is constant in a vacuum.
Physicists – Scientists who study matter, energy, and the fundamental forces of nature. – Physicists use complex equations to predict how particles behave at high speeds.
Dark – Lacking light; in physics, often refers to dark matter, a type of matter that does not emit or interact with electromagnetic radiation. – Scientists are still trying to understand the properties of dark matter in the universe.
Matter – Anything that has mass and takes up space. – All objects around us, from the air we breathe to the stars in the sky, are made of matter.
Universe – All of space and everything in it, including stars, planets, galaxies, and all forms of matter and energy. – The universe is vast and continues to expand, filled with countless galaxies and stars.
Experiments – Scientific procedures undertaken to test a hypothesis or demonstrate a known fact. – In physics class, we conducted experiments to learn about the laws of motion.
Learning – The process of acquiring knowledge or skills through study, experience, or teaching. – Learning about the laws of physics helps us understand how forces like gravity work.
Exploring – Investigating or studying something to discover more about it. – Exploring the mysteries of space can lead to new discoveries about our universe.
