Most successful scientific experiment

[Simpo Two]

Heard that R4 is inviting answers to this question.

I guess it depends what you mean by an experiment. Most successful - on a big scale as opposed to a laboratory, perhaps the Manhattan Project, the Wright Flyer or the Apollo Program?

And where does experimentation merge into invention?

[hairykrishna]

I think I'd class all of yours as engineering rather than experiment although, as you say, the line is blurred. The first atomic pile maybe? Michelson-Morley? Depending on your definition of successful.

[Dr Jekyll]

Strictly speaking an experiment is successful if it tells you something, Even if it's not what you wanted or expected.

[deeen]

The interference experiment demonstrating wave-particle duality

The guy who overturned years of dogma by infecting himself with stomach ulcers and curing them with antibiotics

The feather and the hammer (was it?) on the moon

[StanleyT]

Most sucessful in terms of people following the result.
God.
Through the use of various idols on Earth convincing people that Religion exists.
Must be surely the most sucessful experiment in terms on cumulative number of converts over the history of humanity.
(VW Dieselgate might be the second most).


Manhattan project worked but there were a number of "uh-oh" moments, including when the Hanford pile got Xe contaminated (problem never identified but solved in a number of nours....) - the project could have shut down and nukes never come along...............



Least sucessful.
Hiding in my sisters bedroom cupboard when her mates were getting ready for ballet class.

[annodomini2]

Archimedes water displacement?

[Monty Python]

For all we know the entire universe may be an experiment.....shame it doesn't seem to be working too well.

[Gary29]

Penicilin discovery.

Are we talking successful or important?

[Simpo Two]

The word was successful.

The Archimedes thing, if legend is to be believed, was an observation rather than an experiment (ie not set up)

[Moonhawk]

Monty Python said:

For all we know the entire universe may be an experiment.....shame it doesn't seem to be working too well.

Depends what the aim of the experiment might be - surely?

[Simpo Two]

Monty Python said:

For all we know the entire universe may be an experiment.....shame it doesn't seem to be working too well.

How can you tell?

[HaiKarate]

Sir Arthur Eddington confirming Spacetime curvature as predicted by GR.

[V8LM]

'Success' is a difficult measure in experimentation. If an experiment produces the results that you knew where going to happen, then that is not a successful bit of research (and mostly a waste of time). If the experiment, done perfectly, doesn't give the results one was expecting that that is invariably more valuable that had the experiment given the expected results. If the outcome of the experiment was 100% certain before it was done then there is no point doing it.

[Halmyre]

I can think of two experiments that failed their original purpose but yielded significant results - Michelson and Morley's attempt to measure the effect of luminiferous aether, and showed that it didn't exist; and Penzias and Wilson's experiments in radio astronomy that led to the discovery of cosmic background radiation.

[Monty Python]

Moonhawk said:

Depends what the aim of the experiment might be - surely?

I guess so, but it doesn't look good for any life that exists in it, so maybe life is just a side-effect of it.

[Moonhawk]

Monty Python said:

Moonhawk said:

Depends what the aim of the experiment might be - surely?

I guess so, but it doesn't look good for any life that exists in it, so maybe life is just a side-effect of it.

Indeed - life may simply be an emergent property of matter, just like gasses, liquids, crystals etc.

[annodomini2]

Moonhawk said:

Monty Python said:

Moonhawk said:

Depends what the aim of the experiment might be - surely?

I guess so, but it doesn't look good for any life that exists in it, so maybe life is just a side-effect of it.

Indeed - life may simply be an emergent property of matter, just like gasses, liquids, crystals etc.

One theory would like to prove its all down to entropy

[Tempest_5]

I am currently trying to scientifically prove that the world revolves around the sun, not my Ex.

Sorry for flippancy, it is possible I am drunk.