Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Solving Problems in Physics

Solving Problems in Physics

Problem-solving is the ability to apply general physical principles to specific situations, usually expressed by equations. It is an essential skill in physics, and can also be useful for applying physics in everyday life as well. Analytical skills and problem-solving abilities can be applied to new situations, compared to a list of facts, which can never be extensive enough to include every possible circumstance. To solve physics problems, a certain amount of creativity and insight is...

Problem-Solving

Problem-Solving

Effective problem-solving consists of two steps: 1. identifying the problem and 2. selecting the appropriate problem-solving strategy (i.e., a plan of action used to find a solution). Humans use four problem-solving strategies:

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method

The scientific method is a detailed, empirical problem-solving process used by biologists and other scientists. This iterative approach involves formulating a question based on observation, developing a testable potential explanation for the observation (called a hypothesis), making and testing predictions based on the hypothesis, and using the findings to create new hypotheses and predictions.Generally, predictions are tested using carefully-designed experiments. Based on the outcome of these...

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method

Chemistry is an empirical science. Scientists often pose questions to understand the chemistry in everyday life and seek answers to these questions. To achieve this, scientists follow a definitive series of steps that together make up the Scientific Method. This approach involves making observations, asking questions, building a hypothesis, conducting experiments, analyzing results, and forming a conclusion.

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method

Research is what makes the difference between facts and opinions. Facts are observable realities, and opinions are personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate. In the scientific community, facts can be established only using evidence collected through empirical research.

Biot-Savart Law: Problem-Solving

Biot-Savart Law: Problem-Solving

The magnitude and direction of a magnetic field created by a steady current can be calculated using the Biot-Savart law.
Consider a mobile phone battery bank as a source of steady current, which flows through the wire connected between the two. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field created by this current at a field point P?
To estimate the magnitude of the total magnetic field, we first consider a small current element of length dl, at a distance r from the field point. Now the following...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A damage accumulation model identifies distinct aging regimes across species.

Nature aging·2026

Same author

Foundations of Gerophysics.

Aging·2026

Same author

Dynamics of the end-of-life phase explained by the saturating removal model.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Excitability as a design principle in the immune system.

Science advances·2026

Same author

A minimal mathematical model of red blood cell homeostasis in anemia.

PLoS computational biology·2026

Same author

Editorial: Mechanistic, machine learning and hybrid models of the 'other' endocrine regulatory systems in health and disease, volume II.

Frontiers in endocrinology·2026

Same journal

Biomolecular condensates for proteostasis and potential therapeutic applications.

Molecular cell·2026

Same journal

A negative regulator of mitochondrial complex I assembly adapts respiration to cellular energy demand.

Molecular cell·2026

Same journal

Large-scale tethered screen of RNA-binding proteins reveals novel regulators of poly(A) site selection.

Molecular cell·2026

Same journal

Longitudinal monitoring of cytoplasmic RBP-RNA interactions and transcriptome in living cells by engineered protein nanocages.

Molecular cell·2026

Same journal

Structures of the PI3Kα/KRas complex on lipid bilayers reveal molecular mechanisms of PI3Kα activation.

Molecular cell·2026

Same journal

Oligomer disassembly activates an HEPN-containing bacterial defense system.

Molecular cell·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Ole Isacson: Development of New Therapies for Parkinson's Disease

Ole Isacson: Development of New Therapies for Parkinson's Disease

Published on: April 29, 2007

How to choose a good scientific problem.

¹Department Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. urialon@weizmann.ac.il

|September 29, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Selecting impactful scientific problems is crucial for career success. This abstract explores the challenges and implicit methods scientists use to choose research questions, often influenced by publication and tenure pressures.

More Related Videos

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups

Published on: May 13, 2022

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Ole Isacson: Development of New Therapies for Parkinson's Disease

Ole Isacson: Development of New Therapies for Parkinson's Disease

Published on: April 29, 2007

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups

Published on: May 13, 2022

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

Area of Science:

Scientific methodology
Research problem selection

Background:

The selection of research problems is a critical but often underexplored aspect of scientific training.
Implicit guidance and observation are primary methods for learning how to choose good problems.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the importance of explicitly discussing problem selection in science.
To analyze the factors influencing scientists' choices of research problems.

Main Methods:

Qualitative analysis of the implicit processes in scientific problem selection.
Discussion of the impact of publication and career pressures on research choices.

Main Results:

The process of choosing good scientific problems is rarely taught explicitly.
Scientists often learn through observation, leading to potential biases.

Conclusions:

Explicit discussion and training in selecting research problems are needed.
Current practices may prioritize publishable results over genuine scientific inquiry.