Do you ever worry about doing certain experiments?

Question: Do you ever worry about doing certain experiments?
- Keywords:
  challenge,
  experiment
Asked by anon-288219 on 10 Mar 2021.
- Chris Waller answered on 10 Mar 2021: last edited 10 Mar 2021 12:52 pm
  
  To a certain extent yes – some of the experiments I have done have been quite dangerous, and although you do everything you can to make them safer, they are never 100% risk-free.
  ~
  Before you do any experiment however, you need to undertake a “risk assessment” where you consider how dangerous your experiment is and how you are going to reduce the risk. For example if you are working with flammable chemicals, you obviously don’t want to have a bunsen burner (an open flame) operating nearby! Thinking about what you are going to do and how you are going to do it safely can eliminate a significant amount of hazards before they even occur, making things safer for yourself and everyone else working around you.
- Felicity Hunter answered on 10 Mar 2021:
  
  Hi Jessica. Excellent question. Yes, one of the biggest worries I have is that the experiment may fail which is worrying when you’re putting a lot of time and work into it. But you can’t let those fears put you off trying it because science is all about trial and error! This means it is important to try an experiment and be okay with the fact that it might not work and that you need to do it again in a different way until it does eventually work. It can be a frustrating process but it all pays off when your experiment works. You can also learn a lot from experiments that don’t work!
- Katie Endersby answered on 10 Mar 2021:
  
  Hi Jessica! Yes, I do sometimes get worried before doing a particularly big or important experiment!
  
  It can be pretty daunting when I have to start an experiment knowing that one mistake could mean weeks of repeating my work… That being said, I try and go into each new day knowing that if I have tried my best and I have done an experiment (even if it’s not perfect!), that I will have gained something from the experience – even if it is just a really thorough practice for the next time I set it up!
- Jess Buddle answered on 10 Mar 2021:
  
  Hey!
  Yes all the time, mostly if it is something big and ive put a lot of time into it, as science has a habit of not always doing what you want it to! But this is totally OK and everything even the failiures will tell you something (even if its what NOT to do) – and it is a great feeling when things work out!
- Karen Burstow answered on 10 Mar 2021:
  
  Yes! I definitely worry too much about everything. I sometimes worry about a difficult or new experiment, worrying that they’re not going work or that I’ll make a mess! But with my uni and work experience, proper preparation (sometimes a risk assessment if you’re working with dangerous materials), plus help from colleagues – things don’t often go wrong. And when they do, people are always happy to help fix it!
- Claire Price answered on 11 Mar 2021:
  
  In terms of safety, then no. I make sure I know as much as I can about an experiment as I can beforehand and we have lots of safety rules in the lab and have to wear lab coats, goggles, gloves, and things like that. If you mean worry about an experiment failing. Then all the time. Experiments don’t work 90% of the time, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t worry about them failing.

Question: Do you ever worry about doing certain experiments?

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