Transcript Astronomy & the Process of Science

Science
What
are differences between “science” and
“non-science”?
What
are some “hallmarks” of science?
Chapter
Science
Quick Quiz Reading Q’s
Science or Non-Science?

Could these be evaluated scientifically?

The Yankees are the best baseball team of all time.

Several kilometers below its surface, Jupiter’s moon
Europa has an ocean of liquid water

My house is haunted by ghosts who make creaking
noises I hear every night.

Dogs are smarter than cats.
Science
Science or Non-Science?

Could these be evaluated scientifically?

There is no liquid water on the surface of Mars today.

Children born when Jupiter is in front of Taurus are
more likely to be musicians than other children.

Aliens can manipulate time so that they can abduct
people and perform experiments on them without
people every realizing they were taken.
Science
Science or Non-Science?

Could these be evaluated scientifically?

Newton’s law of gravity works as well for explaining
orbits of planets around other stars as it does for
planets in our own solar system.

God created the laws of motion that were discovered
by Newton.

A huge fleet of alien spacecraft will land on Earth on
January 1, 2020.
Science
Hallmarks of Science

Seek explanations from natural causes

Progresses through creation and testing of
models of nature that explain observations
as simply as possible.

Makes testable predictions, and revises or
abandons models if predictions don’t
agree with observations.
Science
Hallmarks of Science

Seek explanations from natural causes

“supernatural” reasons are not scientific

Moon reflects sunlight

Retrograde motion from different orbits and
speeds
Science
Hallmarks of Science

Progresses through creation and testing of
models of nature that explain observations
as simply as possible.

Copernican heliocentric model vs. Ptolemaic

Kepler’s laws
Science
Hallmarks of Science

Makes testable predictions, and revises or
abandons models if predictions don’t
agree with observations.

Geocentrism out with Galileo’s observations
of Venus phase/size changes, Jupiter’s
moons

Lack of observed parallax because?
Science