Hi there! My name is Jay, and I love being a scientist. But when I was younger, I didn’t know that I wanted to be one or even that I liked science. I enjoyed exploring and building things, but I wasn’t sure if those interests were related to what scientists do. Today, we’re going to learn about what scientists do, and I think you’ll find it really interesting!
There are many different kinds of scientists. Some explore the deep ocean, while others create new scents for perfumes. Some scientists launch rockets into space, and others study volcanoes. No matter where they work—whether it’s in a lab, a forest, or even on the moon—scientists have some things in common. But what exactly do they do?
Let’s think about your day so far. When you woke up, you might have noticed the light coming through your window and wondered why it was so bright. Maybe you heard a noise outside and wondered what it was. These are called observations. Observations are things we notice about the world around us, and asking questions about them is a big part of what scientists do.
Imagine you’re at the playground and you see a friend sliding really fast. You might wonder, “How can I slide faster too?” You could try different ways to go down the slide, like stretching out your arms or lifting your feet. Each time, you pay attention to how fast you go. This is called experimenting. Experiments help scientists find answers to their questions.
Scientists do experiments to learn new things, like how fast a dinosaur could run or what pizza tastes like when eaten differently. By experimenting, scientists make discoveries and learn more about the world.
When you share your discoveries with others, you’re doing something important that scientists do. Scientists share what they learn with other people. This helps everyone learn more and inspires others to ask new questions. So, when you tell a friend about your sliding experiment, you’re “sciencing” too!
So, what do scientists do? They make observations, ask questions, do experiments, and share what they learn. All you need to do to be a scientist is to be curious. Have you “scienced” today? How will you “science” tomorrow?
After reading this, you can try being a scientist yourself! Make observations, ask questions, and do experiments. You might even observe some tiny creatures and find answers to your questions. Remember, there are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and have fun discovering!
Observation Walk: Take a short walk around your home or school. As you walk, make a list of five things you notice. These could be anything from the color of a flower to the sound of a bird chirping. After your walk, share your observations with a friend or family member and ask them what they noticed. Did they see or hear the same things as you?
Mini Experiment: Choose a simple question you have about something around you. For example, “What happens if I mix different colors of paint?” or “How can I make a paper airplane fly farther?” Gather some materials and try out different ways to answer your question. Remember to observe what happens each time and think about why it might be happening. Share your findings with your class or family.
Curiosity Journal: Start a curiosity journal where you can write down questions you have about the world. Each week, pick one question to explore. You can draw pictures, write down your observations, or even take photos. At the end of the week, share what you learned with someone else. Encourage them to ask questions too!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, it’s Jay. I love being a scientist, but I didn’t always know that I wanted to be one or even that I liked science. (water splashing) When I was a kid, I knew I loved exploring and building things, but I wasn’t sure if those interests were related to what scientists do. Someone named Leela has a question about scientists. Let’s give Leela a call now. (phone ringing) – Hi, Jay. – Hi, Leela. – I have a question for you. What does a scientist do? – That is a great question. There are many different kinds of science and scientists. Some scientists explore what lives at the deep ocean floor, while others look for new scents for perfumes. There are scientists who launch rockets into space and those who study volcanoes. Regardless of their environment—be it a lab, a forest, or even the moon—scientists share many common tasks. But what exactly do they do? I wonder what you think? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss.
Okay, you ready? It’s interesting—there’s not really a perfect word for what scientists do. Think about it: a runner runs, a singer sings, and a teacher teaches. But what about a scientist? What if we called what scientists do “sciencing”? What would that mean? You’ve probably seen pretend scientists in movies or TV shows, and maybe you’ve even encountered a scientist in real life. But regardless of what you’ve seen, you’ve likely done many of the things scientists do. In fact, I bet you’ve already “scienced” today.
Let’s think about your day so far. What have you done? Well, you woke up, for starters. Maybe when you first opened your eyes, you noticed light coming through a window and wondered why it was so bright. (birds chirping) Perhaps you heard a noise outside and wondered what was happening. Maybe you smelled something cooking and tried to guess the ingredients just from the aroma. Or you felt a warm breeze and wondered if it would be as hot today as it was yesterday.
In science, the things we notice about the world around us are called observations. Making observations and asking questions are two key activities that all scientists engage in. Every time you notice something or wonder about something, you are “sciencing.” By observing and questioning the things you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste when you first wake up, you were already “sciencing” before getting out of bed. And you’ll continue to “science” throughout your day.
Let’s say later you go to the playground. Maybe you see a classmate sliding really fast on the slide and wonder, “How can I slide faster too?” You might try different techniques to see if they help you go faster. You could stretch out your arms and legs, lay down, or lift your feet in the air. Each time, you pay attention to how fast you go.
Or, if pizza is being served at the cafeteria, you might usually eat it the same way—cheesy end first, then crust. But today, you wonder, “Would it taste the same if I ate it differently?” You might try taking a bite of the crust first or folding the pizza before biting into it. As you take each bite, you notice what’s different.
You already know that you’re “sciencing” by wondering and noticing, but scientists also search for answers. When you test different things to see if anything changes, that’s called doing an experiment. Experiments are one way scientists seek answers to their questions. Just like you might test different ways of going down a slide to see which is fastest, scientists test different rocket designs to find the best one for reaching Mars.
Trying unusual experiments is how scientists answer unique questions, like whether dolphins recognize themselves in mirrors, what distant planets smell like, or if people perform better when dressed as superheroes. Experimenting is a key method for making discoveries, whether it’s about how fast a dinosaur could run or what pizza tastes like when eaten differently.
So, you’ve had a busy day “sciencing” already, but there’s more. While you were getting ready for school, playing, or eating lunch, you probably weren’t alone. Maybe you asked a family member what they thought the weather would be like. Perhaps you shared what you learned about sliding with a classmate. When you share your curiosity with others, you’re “sciencing.” All scientists share their discoveries and questions. By sharing what they know, they help others learn, and by sharing what they don’t know, they inspire others to seek answers.
So, what do scientists do? We make observations and ask questions. We search for answers through experiments, and we share our discoveries and questions with others. In other words, all you need to do to be a scientist is to be curious. Have you “scienced” today? How will you “science” tomorrow?
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Leela, for asking it. After this video, my friends and I at Mystery Science have created a step-by-step activity where you can do what scientists do: make observations, ask questions, and experiment. You’ll observe some tiny creatures, and the experiments will help you find answers to your questions. I hope you’ll try it.
We’ll be back with a new episode next week. You’ll have one more chance to vote on which question we should answer next. You can choose from, “Who invented school?” “Why does hair turn gray?” or “How do boats float?” So submit your vote when the video’s over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any informal or unnecessary elements.
