Odd request: how to have a hypothesis evaluated?

[carbonzit]

What I'm looking for is some place (website, probably) where I can post a hypothesis and have it evaluated by folks with some scientific background. (It's a non-electronic theory, btw.) Looking for scientific evaluation of a non-scientific hypothesis I dreamt up (I'm not a scientist, at any rate), see whether it has any validity at all. Anyone know of any such place?

 

[ronsimpson]

hypothesis

I don't know of a place just for that. Here there are many curious minds that might comment on your idea. There are some that will say something stupid but you can take that. Post your idea and see what happens. I am in several science groups on facebook but .....

 

[shortbus=]

While not a member at Quora or Stackexchange, I've seen some of their posts in Google searches. Isn't that basically what they do at those sites?

https://www.quora.com/

https://stackexchange.com/

 

[carbonzit]

Thanks for that. Didn't want to sign up for Quora, so I'll pass on that for now, but it looks like Stackexchange might have a topic area close to what I'm looking for.

Regarding posting my hypothesis here, thanks but no thanks; aside from the cranks here, I don't think there are that many folks qualified to comment on my "theory". I'm looking for those much smarter than myself!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Somehow you just know it's going to be yet another crazy 'free power' or 'perpetual motion' scheme, so best not posted here on a serious site

 

[rjenkinsgb]

I don't think there are that many folks qualified to comment on my "theory". I'm looking for those much smarter than myself!

And, if bother to look through the topics on here, there are quite a few people with both serious science & engineering backgrounds and serious intelligence.

 

[carbonzit]

Somehow you just know it's going to be yet another crazy 'free power' or 'perpetual motion' scheme, so best not posted here on a serious site

Wrong. Nothing like that. Don't make such snotty assumptions.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Wrong. Nothing like that. Don't make such snotty assumptions.

I'm going with the odds, every post like yours has always been about something silly and impossible - and it appears you're looking for a site where they will encourage such ideas.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Wrong. Nothing like that.

OK, so as you are planning to post it [somewhere], it's obviously not confidential - so what's the harm of posting it here??
You may get get useful feedback, or just ignore the replies otherwise.

 

[carbonzit]

I'll consider that. It's nothing like what Nigel imagines; all I'll say at this point is that it's somewhere in the realm of the environment, climate, possibly human health: no "over unity" bu11shit, get-rich schemes, etc. Just something I'm curious about (nothing to do w/electronics, btw).

 

[tomizett]

You can't just tease us like that... go on, spill the beans!
I know there are a couple of pretty decent chemists here, if that help persuade you.

 

[gophert]

I'll consider that. It's nothing like what Nigel imagines; all I'll say at this point is that it's somewhere in the realm of the environment, climate, possibly human health: no "over unity" bu11shit, get-rich schemes, etc. Just something I'm curious about (nothing to do w/electronics, btw).

Send me a PM - I dabble in electronics but I'm a real life scientist.

 

[ronsimpson]

Hypothesis: Tease curious people with an unrelieved question, and their heads explode.
Test: Try it on a forum.
Results:

You can't just tease us like that.

o as you are planning to post it

 

[DrG]

If your hypothesis concerns Environmental Health Sciences and you don't want to tell anyone here what it is exactly, I would advise you to research your keywords using Google scholar and other places and make a hard and cold attempt to see what scientists working in the field are doing [and have done] on the subject.

If you have little scientific training, then maybe you can find some Professor/Researcher at a nearby University and call them on the phone and ask them politely if they would be willing to spend some time discussing the issue with you.

You may or may not have a good idea and it seems like you want to find out if you have a good idea - "non-scientific hypothesis I dreamt up (I'm not a scientist, at any rate), see whether it has any validity at all. ". If you have no scientific background, however, you may not appreciate or understand some fundamental aspects/background of the subject matter and that may be problematic.

If you want a guarantee that someone will hear you out and tell you that it is a brilliant idea regardless, you can probably find many such people who will be happy to do just that, if you pay them. If you want someone to hear you out and tell you that is perhaps the most idiotic idea that they have ever heard in their life - it will be much cheaper.

 

[MichaelaJoy]

If your idea has the potential for monetary gain, I suggest you speak to a Patent Attorney, and / or some Attorney who specializes in writing NDAs
(Non-Disclosure Agreements) You'll need to know a little about your local Patent laws to see whether or not the NDA is even enforceable.

Then, you could talk about the idea and pay a professor to act as a consultant. The professor would have to sign the NDA.

Of course you'd have to pay for these services. If the idea is valuable, then you invest the money.