‘ We are Clowns!’ is a fun science series for girls and boys made by Big Van Ciencia, a team that carries out scientific dissemination activities for all types of audiences. Here Orilo and Arlequino will explain hilarious scientific stories and very scientific home experiments, with lots of humor and fun.
In this chapter of Clowntífics, Arlequino is annoyed because every time she peels an onion, she starts crying like a cupcake, and Orilo proposes that she use the scientific method to find out why this happens.
Hypothesis 1: I feel sorry for the onion
The first part of the scientific method consists of posing a hypothesis. Then it is necessary to carry out experiments to check if this hypothesis was correct. Harlequino has never formulated a hypothesis, and Orilo explains to him that we have to come up with an answer that explains the fact in question. In the case of onions, for example, Arlequino states that it may be that when cutting onions he cries because he is very sorry. To check if his hypothesis is correct, Harlequin cuts the onion, and discovers that no, he does not feel sorry for doing so, but he continues to cry. This means that the hypothesis was incorrect.
Second hypothesis: a liquid comes out of the onion
Harlequino thinks that perhaps, when he cuts the onion, he is touching it, and that the onion must release some kind of liquid that stains his fingers and eventually his tongue up to his eyes and produces tears. The next phase is to design an experiment to check if the theory is true.
Harlequin decides to put on some gloves, because in this way the supposed liquid would not reach his fingers. However, Harlequino cries again: the results of the experiment do not corroborate the hypothesis.
Third hypothesis: the onion gets a gas
It could be that when cutting the onion, gases come out that go into the air and, in contact with the eyes, irritate them and make us cry. To check it, Harlequino puts on his diving goggles and cuts the onion. Bingo! She has finally stopped crying.
The scientific method helps us discover things that we do not know: in this case, Harlequino has been designing experiments to check if the hypotheses he raised were correct. This has allowed him to discover that the onion emits gases that irritate the eyes and make us cry.
This method is used by researchers to solve the world’s great doubts and thus advance science.
