My High School Expieriment

[Red_Baron]

I'm creating a science fair project and I came here to ask if I'm missing anything. Please tell what I need to add.

The Prayer Experiment
By Red_Baron
1st hour Advance Biology


TABLE of CONTENTS

1. Intro
2. Research, hypothesis
3. Procedure
4. Results


INTRO
I’m not a religious man but if this experiment works I’ll probably have to start believing again. I’m going to turn a copper coin into gold. If “god” is real this should work. I’m Atheist and I’m proud of it which began in 6th grade. I almost got kicked out of my house because of religion because I didn’t want to go to church. I’ve hated religion with a passion now it is up to “god” to defend it.



Research
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a god or spirit through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creed, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship/praise. Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the purpose of worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one's thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others.
The question is… does it really work?

Hypothesis
I think the pennies will not turn into gold because it is scientifically impossible. You would have to be a religious nut to think it will work.


Procedure
Materials: 3 pennies, a prayer, and a lucky item (like a horseshoe).
Step 1: I will leave one penny alone as a control.
Step 2: Take the second penny and pray to “god” asking him to turn it to gold for 5 minutes. “Almighty “god” please turn thy penny into gold.” Wait for results. Do this for 2 days.
Step 3: Take the third penny and ask the lucky horseshoe to turn it into gold. “Almighty horseshoe please turn thy penny into gold.” Wait for results. Do this for 2 days.



Results
For 2 days I prayed to “god” to turn the penny into gold. On the first day nothing happened 0% gold. I came back on the second day and prayed again and still nothing happened after I prayed for the final time still 0% gold. The results are 0. I studied the penny and found 0% traces of gold.
The next 2 days I got out the lucky horseshoe. First day I asked the lucky horseshoe for 5 minutes to turn this second penny into gold. Nothing happened resulting in 0% gold. Second day I asked the lucky horseshoe again but still 0% gold.
I checked the control experiment for 2 days as well and it turned into 100% gold. I’m joking it didn’t do anything.

Conclusion
As I suspected nothing happened. Therefore “god” isn’t real and the lucky horseshoe has the same effect as “god.” Some might argue that you can’t test “god” but that was probably put in to create a loop hole. This also proves that prayer doesn’t work.

[Cinjin]

I like your attitude but your experiment is flawed. You see, in order for the penny to even have a chance at turning into gold, the Christians are going to claim you must have true faith. This is, of course, according to their biblical scriptures. Therefore you would really have to find one of their own to pray to their god. Someone who has demonstrated prior to your experiment that they do indeed have true faith. And lets face it, you're going to be hard-pressed to find a christian to do that for you.

[Red_Baron]

Ahh forgot about that. so i need to get a religious kid to do it . that will be easy

[theVOID]

I’m going to turn a copper coin into gold. If “god” is real this should work.

Why?

I’m Atheist and I’m proud of it which began in 6th grade. I almost got kicked out of my house because of religion because I didn’t want to go to church. I’ve hated religion with a passion now it is up to “god” to defend it.

Your life story is not necessary, implies bias. Your hatred towards religion is a stated bias, if you want people to take your study seriously you should, ya know, leave that part out.

Research
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a god or spirit through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creed, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship/praise. Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the purpose of worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one's thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others.

The question is… does it really work?

There is no point in asking if it works when you have not described what is claimed to work. "Does prayer work?" on it's own could be met with the response "yes" in a number of circumstances, such as "does it work in offering one comfort?" etc. You need to specifically state something like "Is prayer by an atheist to an unspecific deity sufficient to transform a copper coin into gold"

Hypothesis
I think the pennies will not turn into gold because it is scientifically impossible. You would have to be a religious nut to think it will work.

1. Stated biases, again, you presuppose the result.
2. You state another yet another bias in presupposing that those who believe the hypothesis as "nuts"
3. You still have not stated what you expect to work.

Procedure
Materials: 3 pennies, a prayer, and a lucky item (like a horseshoe).
Step 1: I will leave one penny alone as a control.
Step 2: Take the second penny and pray to “god” asking him to turn it to gold for 5 minutes. “Almighty “god” please turn thy penny into gold.” Wait for results. Do this for 2 days.
Step 3: Take the third penny and ask the lucky horseshoe to turn it into gold. “Almighty horseshoe please turn thy penny into gold.” Wait for results. Do this for 2 days.

This seems fine, though you can easily be called out because you do not genuinely believe it will happen, you have not controlled for intent in other words. Find a person who believes it will work if you can....

Results
For 2 days I prayed to “god” to turn the penny into gold. On the first day nothing happened 0% gold. I came back on the second day and prayed again and still nothing happened after I prayed for the final time still 0% gold. The results are 0. I studied the penny and found 0% traces of gold.
The next 2 days I got out the lucky horseshoe. First day I asked the lucky horseshoe for 5 minutes to turn this second penny into gold. Nothing happened resulting in 0% gold. Second day I asked the lucky horseshoe again but still 0% gold.
I checked the control experiment for 2 days as well and it turned into 100% gold. I’m joking it didn’t do anything.

Conclusion
As I suspected nothing happened. Therefore “god” isn’t real and the lucky horseshoe has the same effect as “god.” Some might argue that you can’t test “god” but that was probably put in to create a loop hole. This also proves that prayer doesn’t work.

And you have a complete non-sequitur, you have only "proven" that:

Prayers by a person who does not believe in the power of gods/magic horseshoes to an unnamed god and/or a magic horseshoe is not sufficient for a god and/or magic horseshoe, should such a thing exist, to transform the material in question into gold.

Fail. Absolutely unscientific.

[Red_Baron]

thanks

[Cinjin]

Fail. Absolutely unscientific.

You know I agree with you Void, but he's just a kid trying to find his way. You may have been a little harsh at the end there.

[theVOID]

I disagree that it's harsh, it's to the point. Taking the criticism into account he can now come up with a better experiment, which I'm sure he's fully capable of.

Besides, would we be any less "harsh" to a theist who devised an experiment like; "If I pray to god and feel better then god exists" and who presupposes; "anyone who thinks this won't work is nuts"? Instead of being told his experiment is a failure and is unscientific he'd be called an idiot and likely much worse.

I don't do double standards, atheist or "kid" or not.

[Cinjin]

I disagree that it's harsh, it's to the point. Taking the criticism into account he can now come up with a better experiment, which I'm sure he's fully capable of.

Besides, would we be any less "harsh" to a theist who devised an experiment like; "If I pray to god and feel better then god exists" and who presupposes; "anyone who thinks this won't work is nuts"? Instead of being told his experiment is a failure and is unscientific he'd be called an idiot and likely much worse.

I don't do double standards, atheist or "kid" or not.

You may have a very valid point. I wasn't looking at it from a double standard point of view. I guess I was looking at it as two sports teams. My criticism is always a little kinder to the player on my team.

That being said, I do see your point.

[Red_Baron]

i like the criticism. lets me know what to change.

[Doubting Thomas]

Yes, you should leave any & all personal bias out of it, as well as claiming that anyone who believes it would work are "nuts." And I do agree that it is important to have a religious person doing the praying. You might want to give the history of prayer, reasons why people pray today, and reference bible passages such as Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:22, Mark 11:24, John 14:13-14, John 16:23, etc.

Which makes me wonder... if you sent in money to a prayer request line to have them turn a penny into gold and it doesn't work, could you get your money back or successfully sue them?