Science as we know it today largely relies on experimentation. Ever since the scientific revolution, experiments have become a crucial part of the methodological approach in science. When we think about science, we often envision individuals in lab coats handling intricate tools or observing phenomena under microscopes. This notion of experimentation began in the 17th century, when it was defined as a technical intervention to study scientific objects and uncover their causes. The pioneering scientist, Francis Bacon, viewed science as a way to uncover nature's secrets by controlling and mimicking it within a lab setting.

Real-world Example: Think of your biology class where you might have observed an onion cell under a microscope. The controlled environment of the laboratory allows us to examine these cells in detail, which would be impossible to observe in nature with a naked eye.

Despite the apparent connection with nature, scientific experiments are decidedly unnatural. Laboratories are highly controlled environments where scientists meticulously remove the unpredictability and randomness of nature. As per Sismondo (2010), "nature is systematically excluded" to maintain the purity of the experiment. However, results achieved in these sanitized conditions are still seen as representative of natural phenomena, potentially impacting the validity of theories based on these experiments.

Real-world Example: If you've ever grown plants in a science lab under controlled light and temperature conditions and compared the results with plants grown outside, you've seen how experiments can exclude natural variations.