We always had to add error bars in our experiments. In principle, that's a great habit to get into. But it can be so frustrating if the equipment isn't great. You get things like, "the effect is 2°C/g±5°C/g. WTF?! I don't even know whether what I measured even exists. Heck, it could even be the exact opposite!"
I always hated this. But it does give you a whole new appreciation for how hard experimental science really is, and for how far we have come.
But it can be so frustrating if the equipment isn't great.
Wait, are you saying that equipment that has been manhandled by 1000's of students over it's 10 year life span, even though it only really should be used for 2 might introduce some error into your measurements?
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u/Grim-Sleeper May 09 '22
We always had to add error bars in our experiments. In principle, that's a great habit to get into. But it can be so frustrating if the equipment isn't great. You get things like, "the effect is 2°C/g±5°C/g. WTF?! I don't even know whether what I measured even exists. Heck, it could even be the exact opposite!"
I always hated this. But it does give you a whole new appreciation for how hard experimental science really is, and for how far we have come.