I can definitely say that after six weeks, I have a better feel of what research is all about.
What I love about it is the independence and freedom to create your own methods. And I was actually able to do this on my own project. During the pilot of my experiment, we found that it took a substantial amount of time to just transfer the seeds; after we rinsed them in a funnel, we had to chase the seeds with a pipette in order to pick them up. Thus, Bri mentioned that it’d be easier to rise and transfer using mesh, and gave me time with the materials to figure it out. After a few hours of trial and error and brainstorming, my workable ideas started merging into a plan. I really enjoyed that I could try something that no one’s ever come up with–like I found out that a weigh boat can fit perfectly over a funnel, so I cut a hole out of it and placed the mesh over it, and made sure the mesh and seeds didn’t pass through the hole when I pipetted water over it. To me, the process of figuring this out was rewarding; there was something I could be proud of and say that I contributed all by myself. Who knows, maybe the procedure can help someone else’s project in the future!
But I must say, the fact that I’m clumsy does not help my project. There have been a number of plates that I’ve accidentally dropped, making some of the seeds come off the filter paper. Thus, I’ve had to re-census the seed germinants subtracting the ones that stuck to the lid. It’s made me realize: research isn’t exactly forgiving to human error. Often times, one mistake can ruin everything and you have to re-do the procedure from the beginning.
On the other hand, I do have to admit, accidents have also led to scientific discoveries, or else Louis Pasteur wouldn’t have come across the discovery that would lead to immunizations.
So I guess the end message is that there’s bound to be mistakes in science…which can be 90% annoying, and 10% enlightening..but the 10% makes it worthwhile.
I’ll just have to remember that the next time I drop a plate~
