1.2 What Makes a Question Scientific?
Not every question can be settled by investigation. “Which is the most beautiful colour?” is a fine question, but no experiment will ever decide it — the answer is a matter of taste. A scientific question is different: it is one you can chase down with observation and experiment.
Compare these:
| Everyday question | A scientific version of it |
|---|---|
| “Is this puri nice?” | “Does a thicker circle of dough take longer to puff?” |
| “Is the oil hot?” | “Does the puri puff faster in hotter oil?” |
| “Is curd tasty?” | “Does milk set into curd faster in a warm place than a cold one?” |
The right-hand questions all share three features: they are specific, they point to something you can change, and they point to something you can observe or measure. That is the shape of a question science can actually answer.
Try This Turn each of these wonderings into a sharp, testable scientific question.
- “Plants like the Sun.”
- “This room feels stuffy.”
- “My phulka didn’t puff today.”