No matter what their expertise, all scientists seek to develop a deeper understanding of the world we live in. In order to explain observed phenomena or aspects of the distant past in biology, geology, or some other field of inquiry, scientists follow an orderly approach called scientific process. Although often described as a step-by-step set of procedures (as in "the scientific process" or "the scientific method"), scientific process isn't linear. While a set number of elements may be common to all scientific investigations, scientists do not follow a set sequence to complete them.

The pathway erroneously prescribed for years in textbooks goes something like this: define the problem, gather information, form a hypothesis, make observations, test the hypothesis, draw conclusions, and report results. In reality, scientists approach and solve problems in unique ways. They use a mix of imagination, creativity, and perseverance. While scientists' work may include each of the identified elements, the nature of the research subject and depth of prior knowledge about it will undoubtedly influence the order in which they proceed.

The Percy Julian video demonstrates that scientific findings, even published ones, are not indisputable. Even though Percy Julian thought Robert Robinson had been first to synthesize the natural alkaloid physostigmine, upon reviewing his rival's work, he discovered it contained an important error. Knowing that melting point is a characteristic property of a substance, and recognizing that the melting point Robinson reported for his compound did not match physostigmine's, Julian was certain that Robinson had not synthesized physostigmine. He then ran a test that verified that his own compound's melting point was a match. When Julian published his findings, he won credit for having been the first person to synthesize this important drug compound.

The Judah Folkman video demonstrates that observations can raise new questions and provoke original ideas that need to be investigated. Drawing on his prior experience handling tumors, Dr. Folkman proposed a radical hypothesis to explain tumor growth. He suggested that new blood vessels that formed in surrounding tissue fed tumors. When Folkman reported that he had observed new blood vessel growth, a process called angiogenesis, his scientific peers asked that he explain the mechanism underlying the process. Dr. Folkman's research team sought to identify the chemical responsible for blood-vessel growth. Their investigations into what caused angiogenesis ultimately led them to isolate a molecule—heparin—that could prevent angiogenesis, thereby starving tumors of blood.

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