Question: have you made a invention

Kate Salmon answered on 10 Mar 2014:

Hi Dansp, I have not invented a machine but as scientists you are inventing all the time. When you get the results of an experiment, you have to sit down and look at them in different ways, whether this be plotting them on a map or a graph or drawing a picture. Then you have to ‘invent’ a theory to explain what you see in your results.

Now with this part, you can’t make something up from your head, but you have to read a lot of books and papers to invent your own theory. The fact that you have read lots of books and papers to support your invented theory means that it is more likely to be true and other scientists (who mark your work like your teacher does), are more likely to agree with you. This all helps to getting your results and your invented theory published in a book or paper which other scientists read and this helps them to invent theories too!