How to Use The Scientific Method to Solve Any Problem.. Like Investing In Cryptocurrencies!

in writing •  7 years ago  (edited)

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
-Thomas A. Edison

I came across this quote today and had a few thoughts that I wanted to share about mindset and problem-solving.

One of the biggest failures of the education system is, ironically, the lack of importance that is placed on failure. We're raised in a society that loves to hand out 8th place trophies to everyone who participates. While getting this trophy may give Johnny a little dopamine rush, it's actually one of the biggest detriments to his potential for success in life.

No matter how you measure success, it's unavoidable that there will be roadblocks and hardships along the way. People need to get out of the mindset of trying to avoid failure and they need to get into the mindset of how to seek it out and learn from each experience.

I like to argue that science has the best method for going about almost any problem in life - The Scientific Method.

  1. Formulate a Hypothesis
  2. Collect Data
  3. Test your Hypothesis
  4. Come to a Conclusion

Whether you want to find the best diet to lose weight, start a business or even invest in a cryptocurrency, The Scientific Method can give you a place to begin searching for answers.

Here's an example to illustrate how you can apply The Scientific Method to problems that will arise in your life. For some context, imagine that you're looking to add a cryptocurrency to your investment holdings. ARK is a cryptocurrency that you've had your eye on, but you aren't sure whether or not it will be a good investment.

1). Formulate a Hypothesis:

First, you need to learn a little bit about ARK, how it works, what it does, what problem(s) it's trying to solve, etc. Once you've compiled some information on that, you create a hypothesis of how ARK could gain market share and thus, increase in value.

Example hypothesis (in this case, a prediction of a future scenario): First, here's my one-sentence explanation of what ARK aims to achieve: Ark aims to create an input interface and SmartBridge with every major cryptocurrency in which users can send ARK and interact with various blockchains to carry out specific actions all without leaving the ARK wallet.

My hypothesis is that this technology will be adopted by consumers who want/need to interact with various blockchains to carry out specific tasks like storing files on the Factom blockchain or deploying a smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain but don't want to learn how to use each blockchain natively. The usage of ARK for these reasons will cause demand for the ARK token to rise and result in a higher token value proportional to the rise in demand.

2). Collect Data:

There are a variety of ways you can collect data for any "experiment". For our example with ARK, I would go out and collect data that relates to ARK's ability to actually deliver on SmartBridge technology - is the team capable? Does ARK have a strong community backing? What have they already created and how does it measure up to the task of adoption? etc.

3). Test Your Hypothesis:

I won't go into all the nitty gritty details for the sake of keeping this example sort of concise. The main thing I did to test my hypothesis was to download the ARK desktop wallet, send ARK tokens to the wallet and perform a few tasks inside the wallet to see how easily I could use it (since ease of use is the main hurdle to adoption). It turns out that Ark's wallet is clean, relatively simple to use, and it quite honestly surpasses the majority of crypto wallets I've used previously.

Anyways, the following screenshot shows the Ark wallet after I had staked a delegate (staking a delegate turned out to be surprisingly easy within the Ark wallet!).

4). Come to a Conclusion:

There are some issues that make it relatively complicated for the average person to use Ark. Namely, buying ARK tokens and securely storing them in the Ark wallet. To buy my tokens I first had to buy Bitcoin with fiat, then I had to send Bitcoin to the Bittrex exchange, then I had to buy ARK with BTC, then I had to send ARK from Bittrex to the ARK desktop wallet.

To make this all more secure I also took the additional step to set up a Ledger Nano S to hold the private keys. For mass adoption to be practical, I believe there will need to be a way to simply set up an Ark wallet and buy ARK tokens within it for any currency (fiat included).

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice and is only for entertainment purposes.



The Scientific Method can be an effective tool for problem-solving and while it is taught in Science class, it is left out of pretty much every other subject. The education system fails to teach students that this method can be applied to their daily lives and used to solve life's most challenging problems in a systematic and valuable way.



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QOTD: What problems have you identified in your life that can be better solved with The Scientific Method? Have you used the method in the past? If so, how did it work out for you?

Thank you for reading, I look forward to your responses below!

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Thanks for the education on ARK and I like the step by step, logical format you used to draw your conclusions. Being able to solve problems, big or small is a useful tool in life.

Thank you for reading and for the kind words! Problem-solving is an essential skill to have when pursuing anything meaningful in life, but it is sadly not well-taught in our education system.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Whenever something is missing, the very first thing most of us do is shout instead of look for the missing object. There is a more effective way to deal with this problem–the scientific method.

Let’s say I have a problem: My wallet is missing. How could I use the scientific method to solve this problem?

AT HOME

Problem: Missing wallet

Data: I went to the market to buy some goods with my friend Mae Ann. When I reached home I noticed that my wallet was gone.

Hypothesis: My first hypothesis was: I lost it in the market while we were buying goods. The second hypothesis was: Mae Ann got my wallet. The third was: I had misplaced it in the house.

Experiments: I searched all over the house for my wallet, but I could not find it. Then I went to Mae Ann to ask If she got my wallet. She answered in the affirmative . She said she found it while she was on her way home near the market.

Conclusion: I lost my wallet in the market and Mae Ann found it and gave it back to me.

Great problem solving

It can be used to trade on cryptocurrency
But you should have some common sense to do it

Thanks for sharing! I definitely believe that fixing things and problem-solving on your own before trying to "call the guy" is a great way to expand your mindset and get better at solving a variety of problems that may present themselves in the future. Your example of finding your missing wallet is on point and is a great way of showing the method in use on a daily basis!! Thank you

my husband helped a little :)

Teamwork makes the dream work!!!

Teamwork is the key! Thanks for sharing all these examples for problem-solving, they really make the post come to life and relate to reality. Keep up the good work!

Great way to start 2018!! You challenge us to use reasoning from day one of the New Year.

your-explanation-is-highly-logical.jpg

"QOTD: What problems have you identified in your life that can be better solved with The Scientific Method? Have you used the method in the past? If so, how did it work out for you?"

Another question is this: "Are we using inductive, deductive or abductive reasoning when we use the scientific method?" Each case will be different. In my case I found I have a real problem. I cannot post at the time I want to post and can't save my drafts well. I used deductive reasoing to develop my hypothesis beginning with this premise to inference pattern: "Other steemians have problems with scheduling posting and saving drafts. Some steemians are good at developing applications. Therefore some steemian has developed an applications to help with scheduling posting and saving drafts."

  1. I found my hypothesis: Some steemian has developed an applications to help with scheduling posting and saving drafts.

  2. I collect data searching google and the posts of other Steemians. I find two websites that offer what I am looking for.

  3. Test my hypothesis: I register and login to each site. I tested the site that used Steemconnect to login in because this was quicker than getting an email verification. I will test the other site soon.

  4. Come to a conclusion. I found there are at least two applications developed for saving drafts and timing posting. Now I have a new hypothesis: Which site provides the most suitable features for my needs?

Very well said and also about an issue I've been dealing with. Your points about inductive, deductive and abductive reasoning are also very good. I'm now in the process of going down the rabbit hole on all 3 of these types of reasoning and expanding my own thinking even further, thanks for sharing!

Interesting content.

I agree, the Scientific Method is a sure-way to eventually come up with a solution to any problem; I think most of even use it on a daily basis without realizing... we are always formulating hypothesis and acting according to them. To me, it feels like the if-A then-B thinking is hardwired into our brains, from classical conditioning to trial and error, we gather information and take it into account when making decisions. Something important, as you say, is to acknowledge the fact that it can be -and is- used in other areas outside science.

What I'd add, if I may, is a previous Collect Data step. Like a revision-of-previous-works kinda step, something that help us start from someone else's successfully solved problem so we can adapt a more efficient solution tailored for our needs; because while we learn most out of our own mistakes, there's no point in making the same someone else did, is it?

On other note, I'm enchanted by the learning and sharing program you talk about! I hope I get to see more of it.

Nice post!

Very well said. I think the additional step of researching previous works is a great idea that many people should do before, during and after the hypothesizing stage. Thanks for sharing that idea! I'm glad you love the program! I hope to hear more of your thoughts on all the various subjects that will come up in the future! Do you have any suggestions for how the program can be improved? I would love to hear your thoughts on that as well, thanks!

Thanks for the response!

I'm actually fairly new around here so I'm not too familiarized with how everything works. I've recently joined a community in Discord and I've found it propitiates sharing and discussion of the subjects so maybe something like that...? Again, don't take me too seriously, I know nothing. I've started following you (that phrase is rather creepy), I'll try to read you frequently and if anything comes to mind I'll make sure to share it :)

I recall learning the Scientific Method in high school. It made sense then and it makes sense now!

I know a lot of people getting into crypto currency and they invest based solely on market cap and performance. They don't examine the underlying technology and value the platform the coin supports brings to the world. Not examining these things will likely bring failure to them. For example, Ethereum makes a lot of sense as a technology and will change the world. That is why it went up!

Thanks for this lesson. A great and timely reminder to follow the Scientific Method!

I totally agree, there’s an exorbitant number of “investors” who walk into the crypto world and chase FOMO and FUD and price action, technical this and technical that, but they have very little or even nonexistent knowledge of how the underlying technology works or how it can bring value to the world. These “investors” are the reason why many outsiders look at crypto like it’s a bubble - it looks similar to the dot com boom where investors are just dumping money in without knowing what they’re even supporting... thanks for reading and supporting and as always, it’s great to hear your thoughts! 🙏🏽

Further thanks to you for recommending Blocktrades for Steem Power delegation. I just purchased 2200 SP for 90 days and will get it within the next two weeks. You pointed me to the article about approx. when they would have the delegations available again so I seized the opportunity. I don't have a huge amount of crypto value yet, but I looked at all the investments I could make and I realized the greatest investment I could make is in myself and the Steemit community.

Your posts are helping me a lot!

That's awesome! I'm glad to hear you were able to get an order in!! Those delegations sold out fast... And now they've closed pre-orders again due to high demand 🙀. You won't be disappointed with your investment, it will pay off in spades! I'm glad I could help you out, if there's more I can do, don't hesitate to ask! Your support helps me out more than you know @sequentialvibe, and it's always great to see you here! ❤️

Starting a business.
Problem : what kind of business do I get into? Poultry farming

Data Collection : I collect data on other persons doing the same business in the location, availability of customers, price of raw materials such as corn, rice bran, soybean, groundnuts all for feed making.
Data analysis : do I have enough money to start and enough space as well. What impact will the business have on my life and those around me.
Conclusion : I have researched and have gathered all the factors are positive and happy to put to action.

That's a very interesting usage of the Scientific Method, thanks for sharing! Keep me updated on your progress if you actually pursue that idea, I'm curious to see how it unfolds! Thanks for the support!

QOTD: What problems have you identified in your life that can be better solved with The Scientific Method? Have you used the method in the past? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm always embracing learning without thinking much of the outcome. So I don't measure life by failures or success but by growth. I'm always asking myself did I grow in the process? And now I'm beginning to practice enjoying the process as well. The process is now what I find bliss in.

So I guess I've been using the Scientific Method to a certain extent. That is if I'm understanding what you wrote correctly XD

You are, in fact, using the scientific method, just in your own way! Your way seems much less systematic and planned out, but just as effective. Everyone is different in how they learn and measure life, more people need to do what you have done and try out different "scientific methods" in order to find out the one that works best for themselves! Great work, and thanks for sharing your insight and experience!

Will be looking to read up more and work on understanding the scientific method more from your posts. You write some good healthy stuff to read :)

Oh and Happy new year to you @khaleelkazi

Thank you! Happy New Year to you as well! 🥂

Interesting post to problem solving. For me, I just collect data first. Then weigh the pros and cons. It also works in decision making skills. I think the aim is to have a goal and work towards that in life.

Thanks for the kind words! Everyone needs to try different methods of problem-solving to figure out which one works best for themselves. It seems that you have done that and are effective at the method you've chosen! Thanks for sharing your methods and insight! 🙏🏽

They don't teach us how to think at school. That's why dad sent me here. I know this stuff but never thought we use it in real life. I lost my glasses this morning. They were not on the book shelf I put them last night. Given that what goes up must come down I looked at the floor. Yes!! This proves gravity. I found them on the floor. Somebody must have knocked them down.

Yes, ironically, the process of thinking itself isn't really questioned or taught in most schools. I'm glad you're on Steemit and learning more about crypto and the world in general! Keep at it!

  ·  7 years ago (edited)Reveal Comment

Thanks for the kind words! I totally agree!

Hypothesis: using the scientific method we can learn many useful things and become better people..

Very meta 😂 good work!

Exactly we can use science in investing like hypothesis data collection conclusion etc. It will reduce the chances of risk in investment if we follow all the step you mention above...Thankyou very useful info...resteemed.

It will absolutely reduce the risk of your investments and also will greatly increase your upside and chance of success! Thanks for reading!

It was quite interesting to use this method the scientific method in regards to virtual currencies. I felt that it can be helpful to ordinary folks since they had little education with cryptocurrencies.

Thanks! I feel the same way, more people need to think more about the cryptos they invest in before actually making blind moves on them because they hear some nice marketing propaganda or their friend "Billy" told them that it'd be a good investment... Thanks for reading!

Your Welcome, to tell you the truth that I was reluctant with Bitcoin long ago because it took for a few years for me to fully understand its fundamentals and its usage (along with Austrian Economics). While I may be regretted that I was not able to invest in Bitcoin before it got popular, I got the courage to open a steemit account due to the fact that I have managed to understand its platforms somehow.

Steemit and Steem are amazing platforms and you're extremely early to adopt them. It may not seem like it, but the masses haven't even heard of Steem, but they will soon. Steem is going to grow so much in 2018 with the upcoming SMTs, I'm glad that you're on board early and will get to benefit from it!

It is true indeed that Steem/Steemit has amazing feature that I didn't realized that it can be possible or attained. I also just open my account both busy.org and utopia.io since both of them can connect to my steemit account not to mentioned that I also open my account on dtube although it will take some time for me learn about these features though.

Amazing post, loved it! I liked how you connected what you learn from class to the real life.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you liked the post!

  ·  7 years ago Reveal Comment

Absolutely true 🙏🏽

Absolutely right mr. khaleelkazi science is nothing but trained and organised common sense. We can use this common sense to solve our daily problems

Absolutely right 🙏🏽

ty for the great investing infos , btw what do u think about the recent SBD huge drop ?

Thanks for reading! SBD is dropping, but so is the crypto market in general. It's just regular price corrections imo.

Ahhh i hope so .. the graphs r on a downfall so i hope it's just a slight normal drops

But on the other side it's good for buying steem atm and investing in it before it goes up again

That's exactly how I look at it! While other people FUD out, I'll buy in for a discount!

Post a good friend, may be useful for all steemit users, I just vote you, follow @muhamadali vote post me thank you

There are a variety of ways you can collect data for any "experiment".

I am inspired from your writing, keep writing and working and always success.
@riskasuandi

If anyone is looking for a good crypto currency to invest in, I suggest checking out Raident Network Token. It was recently listed to OKEX, but here is my review - https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@cryptoknight12/raiden-network-token-review

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greetings leaving my vote up here, I hope in my blog thank yougiphy.gif

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Ahan great writing sheikh @khaleelkazi
Please follow friend

As a working field biologist I think I pretty much unconsciously apply scientific methodology to just about everything in my life that requires it. I'm forever researching things, particularly potential crypto investments, and then, as you say, evaluating the team, the progress of the product etc... Basically looking for the proof that they have the capability to pull off what they've set out to do.

I've dumped some currencies this way when I've determined that the team is simply too inexperienced or bad at handling their public to pull off their project. Similarly, I try to pick up a few that have quietly competent teams and are currently undervalued.

In everyday life? I really think it just goes on beneath the surface for me (the 'scientific evaluation') - I think that's the greatest value inherent to science degrees in that they train you in a way of thinking (rather than 'filling you with knowledge') that allows you to draw more intuitively logical conclusions across multiple contexts.

this is really helpful man , i couldn't agree less

I agree! This post is extremely helpful. A wealth of knowledge.

great, thank for sharing

I agree we need to fail regularly to keep ourselves on track, if we are wise we fail in small and un-spectacular ways. That is my current hypothesis anyway, and so far the results are aligned.

As we are talking science and crypto, I have to shamelessly plug #gridcoin which instead of hash mining rewards it miners based on how much scientific research they do on the BOINC platform.
There is research into diseases, astronomy, particle physics, pure mathematics and much more, it wont slow your computer down, so come and join us and make the world better with science :)

Here are some scientific papers worked on by the BOINC community of which Gridcoin is a part.

This is Great I think in everything we hear a lot of negativity but we are always going to have that. The question is who are the ones who are going to keep trying and pushing forward taking the risk that nobody or hardly anyone is taking!

We do hear a lot of negativity! You have to just push past it and know that you're doing the right thing 🙏🏽

Wow
Very cool and good
I really love this information you shared with us and am hoping to make use of this efficiently and effectively

I agree, this info is extremely helpful and will go a long way towards investing and general life practices!

Excelente!

🔥 Such a great post!

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While I read your post and agree that the scientific method is a fine method of knowing, I do not believe that the scientific method has the answer to every question. For instance, the scientific method cannot explain why Mancity, a team that has scored in all the league games this season, played a goalless draw against Crystal Palace, a team that has conceded in all the league games this season.

I am opened to your opinions.

Such a simple suggestion that can go such a long way curing so many of life ills. Thanks for the post very much. I wrote an article that I think is right up your alley being a deep and forward thinker. Thanks again enjoy your 2018!
https://steemit.com/steem/@cryptkeeper17/space-asteroid-mining-trillions-in-missed-profits-knocking-at-our-door-literally

I'll also check out that article, looks amazing and super interesting!

this is good news,, i like read,,,

It was a great read! So glad I found it!