im a science newb who needs help

[Aaron]

ok my partner and i found out a little too late that we need consent from some committee to do human testing. now we need a new idea, and fast. we have talked about testing with electrolytes like salt water and gatorade, but to do sufficient research we need to be more specific. this is where we need help. any advice and/or suggestions are more than welcomed.

-Aaron

[deleted-71552]

ok my partner and i found out a little too late that we need consent from some committee to do human testing. now we need a new idea, and fast. we have talked about testing with electrolytes like salt water and gatorade, but to do sufficient research we need to be more specific. this is where we need help. any advice and/or suggestions are more than welcomed.

-Aaron

Hi, Aaron!

First of all, I'd like to point you to the "select a topic" wizard offered by Science Buddies. The link is here:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... opic.shtml

Second, a project that compares the contents of different types of "sports drinks" might be interesting. It is certainly something that could be done. In my opinion, where you need to be specific is in your project goal. What are you trying to prove or demonstrate? Can you meansure it? Is the goal achievable?

Third, is there a variation of your original project that could be done that avoids the human testing release form? I think the subject listed in your profile, human reflexes, could be done in many ways, some of which won't require release forms and committee approvals. Make sure you've given this some thought before you throw the idea out entirely.

Thanks!

[mkeaton]

Human reflexes can be a great experiment: I specifically remember doing a lab once that had us stand in a doorframe and push out really hard, then when we let go our arms would keep rising. There are also several hand-eye coordination reflex tests like dropping a yardstick and seeing how many inches it falls before your subject catches it. Just some ideas feel free to ask more questions if you have any.

Michael

[Aaron]

is there a way, though, to conduct such experiments without having to get consent from whatever committees say you need it?

[deleted-71552]

is there a way, though, to conduct such experiments without having to get consent from whatever committees say you need it?

Hi, Aaron!

I'm not sure. What committees are you referring to? Who told you that you needed such approval? I am unfamiliar with these kinds of restrictions, so I am unsure of how to respond.

Generally speaking, you need to proceed with great caution if you are experimenting with human participants in ways that put them in emotional, metal or physical risk. It seems to me that no such permission would be required for simple physical activities as described in a previous post by Michael. For the final word on this, I suggest that you contact your teachers to get their view.

When I was in high school, we did a reaction time test that I suspect would not require special permission. We built a box to simulate the brake and gas pedals in a car. Participants were asked to sit in a chair and put their foot on the gas, as if they were driving. Then, when a light turned from green to red, they were to hit the brake as fast as they can. A timer was built into the box to measure the elapsed time from the red light to the brake push. You could compare reaction times of men to women, older to younger, different times of day, and so on.

This is something for you to think about.

[Aaron]

that is a good idea, but my teacher was the one who said we can't do human testing and so my partner and i swtiched to electrolytes, but we cant find any sufficient information.

my teacher gave me the idea of possibly testing the effect of electrolyes on animals? anyone got any ideas?

thank you

[robertzhou]

Perhaps you could trap some insects and give them water with different concentrations of salt to drink. Make sure they are of the same species though. Or you could use small aquatic animals, like those mini-shrimp that I forgot the name for, put them in water with different concentrations of salt and record any differences between the animals over time. Use pure water as your control. Well, that's all the ideas I have, hoped they helped.

[deleted-71552]

that is a good idea, but my teacher was the one who said we can't do human testing and so my partner and i swtiched to electrolytes, but we cant find any sufficient information.

my teacher gave me the idea of possibly testing the effect of electrolyes on animals? anyone got any ideas?

thank you

If you'd like help with electrolytes on animals, may I suggest that you post your question to the Life, Earth and Social Sciences forum? The Biology experts who support that forum would probably be a better choice for giving you advice on this kind of project. If you choose to follow my advice, it would help the experts in that forum if you could be as specific as possible as to what you want to do.

Best wishes for success with your project!