6. Potato Chips and Stomachaches (cont’d.)
A Hypothesis
Olestra® causes intestinal cramps.
Conclusion
Prediction
Experiment
Results
E
D
C
B
People who eat potato chips made with Olestra will be
more likely to get intestinal cramps than those who eat
potato chips made without Olestra.
Percentages are about equal. People who eat potato
chips made with Olestra are just as likely to get intestinal
cramps as those who eat potato chips made without
Olestra. These results do not support the hypothesis.
89 of 563 people
get cramps later
(15.8%)
93 of 529 people
get cramps later
(17.6%)
Control Group
Eats regular
potato chips
Experimental Group
Eats Olestra
potato chips
Figure 1.9 The steps in a scientific experiment to determine if Olestra causes cramps. A report of this study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January 1998.
Figure 1.10 Testing peacock butterfly defenses. Researchers painted out the spots of some butterflies, cut the sound-making part of the wings on others, and did both to a third group; then exposed each butterfly to a hungry blue tit. Results, listed in Table 1.4, support the hypotheses that peacock butterfly spots and sounds can deter predatory birds.
A With wings folded, a resting peacock butterfly resembles a dead leaf.
B When a bird approaches, a butterfly repeatedly flicks its wings open. This behavior exposes brilliant spots and also produces hissing and clicking sounds.
C Researchers tested whether peacock butterfly wing flicking and hissing reduce predation by blue tits.