Transcript Science Powerpoint

Introduction to Science
Science is two things:
• A Body of Knowledge
– FACT: your body usually has 206 bones, depending
on how you count them
– This is commonly referred to as science, but really
it’s a product of scientific inquiry
• A Process
– The scientific method is used to explore the
universe in search of facts and conclusions
– Numbers are facts, conclusions are subjective
Extremely Important:
• We use facts to draw conclusions
– These conclusions may be subjective!
• These conclusions, when agreed upon, may be
used to collect new facts
– This is the progress of science!
• When conclusions are shown to be faulty,
“facts” based on them must be thrown out!
– This happens all the time!
Misuse of Science
• FACT: The Earth is 4.5 billion years old
• MORE CORRECT: According to radioisotope
dating, which is based on reliable and repeatable
experiments using rocks of different kinds in
conjunction with theoretical nuclear physics, the
oldest rocks on earth are 4.5 billion years old,
which is also the estimated age of rocks from
space and the moon, which according to
theoretical modeling should have been formed at
the same time as the Earth.
• See why people will just say FACT?
Also possible:
• The Earth is actually closer
to 6 billion years old, but
isotope decay speeds up
over time and we don’t
know about it yet
• God made the earth 6,000
years ago but made the
rocks so that they appeared
to be 4.5 billion years old
• We’re all in the Matrix right
now
Scientific Method
• The process of building conclusions and then
obtaining new data based on these
conclusions is known as the scientific method
• Uses critical thinking and two kinds of
reasoning
– Inductive reasoning: Coming up with an
explanation that fits available data
– Deductive reasoning: If-then statements
Steps of Scientific Method
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Observation
Ask Question
Formulate Hypothesis
Make Prediction
Experiment (observation or intervention)
Analyze results
Formulate conclusion
– Hypotheses that withstand repeated testing are known as
theories but are still open to modification!
Scientific Method Diagram
Practical Application
• For those of you who
think this is all boring and
stupid, consider this
following scenario:
• You are a parent and your
baby is crying. WHY IS
YOUR BABY CRYING?
• I submit to you that you
will not just ask your baby
why it’s crying, but you
will instead try to find out
empirically
We are all Scientists
• Everyone uses their own
version of the scientific
method every time they
are posed with a question!
• Science as a process is
something everyone can
intuitively understand
• The key is to ask the right
question and be objective
about what the answers
may be!
Critical Thinking
• The buzzword “critical
thinking” very broad, but
very important for
science
• Observe this newspaper
article headline:
– What are the FACTS?
– What are the
IMPLICATIONS?
“Common” Sense
• Critical thinking is one of
the most important skills
you can develop in school
– Often synonymous with
common sense, which
unfortunately not terribly
common
• The decisions we make
every day about our food
and money can easily be
driven by faulty
information!
Control & Experimental
• It is impossible to make a comparison without
some kind of control group
• Example (fictional): I made $500 yesterday. Is that
a lot?
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YES if you compare it to yourself probably
YES if you compare it to the global yearly income
YES if I did it waiting tables
NO if I risked my life to do it
NO if you compare it to other people my same age or
who were in my same college graduation class
– DEFINITELY NO if you compare it to Mitt Romney
Control Group
• A control group provides
a basis for comparison
• A control group is vital
for testing drugs, but
also key to many other
experiments
– Also vital: large sample
size, good use of statistics
Science and Controversy
• Science produces a lot of
controversy
– Naturally, since science is
deeply involved in our
lives!
• Science should be used
to become right, not to
prove you are right!
– Trying to prove you’re
right means you have
already emotionally
accepted your own
position as fact!
Controversies in Human Biology
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Embryonic stem cell research
Cloning
Abortion
Rationing medical care
Genetic engineering of humans and animals
Steroid and other drug uses
Why are these controversial?
• Because people have
different values!
• Please, in this class,
show respect for the
values of others!
– Do not expect others
to respect your own
values if you do not!
Isn’t this fun?!?!
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Hearing facts is easy
Learning facts is less easy
Internalizing facts is less easy
Learning critical thinking is even less easy
Applying critical thinking to your own thinking…
that’s hard!
• We’re going to work hard this semester!
(Because things worth doing are always hard)
See you next week!
• Remember, starting next Monday, group
quizzes at the start of class will be on the
readings and/or videos for that day’s lesson!