SCIENTIFIC THINKING Scientists investigate hypotheses using a variety of methods, depending on the circumstances behind the research. Human nutrition studies (such as those studying whether GMO foods have any health effects) are particularly problematic. Can you design a hypothetical human nutrition study to test whether GMO corn is less healthy than traditional corn? Can you identify real-world problems that may interfere with your design and confound your results?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Define the hypothesis: Start by clearly defining the hypothesis that GMO corn is less healthy than traditional corn. This will guide the design of the study and the variables that need to be measured.
2. Select the study population: Choose a diverse group of participants to ensure that the results can be generalized to a larger population. Consider factors such as age, gender, health status, and dietary preferences.
3. Design the experiment: Create a controlled experiment where one group of participants consumes GMO corn and another group consumes traditional corn. Both groups should have similar diets otherwise, and the corn consumption should be over a sufficient period to observe potential health effects.
4. Identify and control confounding variables: Recognize variables that could affect the outcome of the study, such as participants' overall lifestyle, environmental factors, and genetic predispositions. Use randomization to assign participants to groups and blind both participants and researchers to the type of corn consumed to reduce bias.
5. Plan for data collection and analysis: Decide on the health metrics to be measured (e.g., weight, blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels) and the frequency of data collection. Use statistical methods to analyze the data and determine whether there are significant health differences between the two groups.