In science there is different terminology which designates whether something is proven as true, or whether it is an accepted "educated guess." A “law” in science means that the idea is absolute, true and universal. Any theory or hypothesis, on the other hand, is not yet proven as true or false. Unproven science project experiments are not possible for students to do because there is not yet enough technology or information available. Students can only research the unproven projects and keep up with the latest information and experiments.
HIV Cure
The HIV disease wipes out the body’s immune system, ultimately resulting in death through a combination of illnesses. There have been multiple medications designed to minimize the effects of the virus, but none have resulted in a cure. According to Rachael Rettner on Live Science, there is a potential cure for the AIDS virus: a bone marrow transplant. The article states that there is a rare mutation in some humans which prevents the HIV virus from getting into the white blood cells. The article follows an individual who received a bone marrow transplant with the rare mutation and has seen some strange effects. The HIV virus seems to have slowly dwindled. The treatment is not yet proven as a fact and is not known as a cure, but offers hope that a cure might be found soon. Students can work on projects relating to the science of bone marrow and stem cells by researching the topic and giving examples of research scientists are working on.
Paranormal Studies
The paranormal includes studies like the existence of ghosts, psychic abilities and telekinesis. While there are means of obtaining data about the paranormal, such as EMF or electro-magnetic field testing, there is no proven data about whether ghosts or paranormal activity is real. Scientific projects regarding the existence of paranormal activity use research and technology to try to capture evidence of ghosts. While there are methods of gathering proof, current technology is not yet advanced enough to prove or disprove the existence of paranormal beings or activities.
String Theory
The idea of string theory is a dimensional one in which there are supposedly ten different dimensions. Though it is considered a “theory,” string theory is not proven or provable. Peter Woit, a mathematician, states that since string theory is not used to reliably predict any observational experiments, one is not able to conduct a scientific study on it. Since the other dimensions are not observable, string theory can neither be proved or disproved.
Evolution Theory
The theory of evolution is not a law because there is no way to scientifically prove that evolution actually took place. The theory of evolution is based on observations of dinosaur bones, animals bones and other examples of evidence, but there is minimal real proof of the theory. While evolution is a theory which is supposedly unproven, there are projects in archeology studies and animal studies which support the theory. Unless is it proven untrue, the theory of evolution is an ongoing project idea for any study of science.
