Focus Groups

The rigors of science can be grueling. Scientists will spend inordinate amounts of time getting conditions just right to achieve a desired result. Entry level scientists learn this first hand in the lab, often performing tasks senior scientists prefer not doing. The Jelly Bean factory is surely no exception. Their customers want authentically flavored Jelly Beans, including their line of eccentrically flavored beans. You know the ones…vomit, earwax, booger, smelly socks, baby wipes, and skunk spray (just to name a few). There’s only one sure way to know whether these scientists have concocted the correct flavor. That’s right, a blinded taste comparison! Surely, such responsibilities fall on entry level scientists – right?  What if entry level scientists decide to survey the public instead? That’s why I am always suspicious of focus groups.

These musings brought to you by Doctor S. Check out his adventures in the books entitled “Welcome to Earth, Doctor S” and “Doctor S and the Great Diamond Escapade”.