Transcript Nature of Science - Faculty Web Pages

Nature of Science
Science 1101
Nature of Science
Environmental Science
Outline:

Science As a Way of Knowing
Scientific
Design
Reasoning
Scientific Theory
Environmental Science
Outline:
Approaches to Thinking
 History of Environmentalism
 Human Dimensions


Rich and Poor
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Environmental Science
Science of the Environment
Circumstances and conditions
that surround an organism or
group of organisms.
 Social and cultural conditions
that affect an individual or
community man

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Environmental Science
Nature of Science
Environmental Science:
is the systematic study of our
environment and our place in it.
Highly Interdisciplinary
 Inclusive
 Holistic
 Mission-Oriented

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Environmental Science
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Science rests on the assumptions the world
is knowable through empirical study and
logical analysis.
 Reduces
tendency to rely on
emotional reactions and
unexamined assumptions.
Searches
for testable evidence.
Explanations
are considered
provisional.
Additional evidence may disprove
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current theories.
Environmental Science
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Scientists collaborate in a cumulative,
self-correcting process.

Many people often work on many
different aspects of a problem.
 Creativity,
insight, aesthetics and even
luck play important roles in scientific
research
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Environmental Science
Scientific Design:
Reproducibility

Experiments must be designed and
recorded such that other researchers can
exactly reproduce them.
Controlled Studies

Comparisons are made between
experimental and control populations.
 Every factor except the one being
studied is held constant
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Hypotheses and Theories:

Hypothesis
Conditional explanations that can be
tested by further observation or
experiment.

Logically, a hypothesis based on
inductive reasoning can be shown to be
wrong, but can almost never be shown
to be unquestionably true.
 Evidence is always provisional
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Scientific Theory:
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Scientific Theory:
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Scientific Theory:
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Scientific Theory:
Nature of Science
Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Scientific Theory:
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Scientific Theory:
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Statistics and Probability:


Probability
An attempt to measure and predict
the likelihood of an event.
Sample Size
A critical experimental variable is
the number of observations
necessary in order to have a reliable
representation of a population.
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Environmental Science.
SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING:
Approaches to Knowledge and
Thinking:



Analytical Thinking
 How can I break this problem into
parts?
Creative Thinking
 How can I approach this
differently?
• Logical Thinking
 How can deductive reasoning help?
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Environmental Science
Approaches to Knowledge and
Thinking:

Critical Thinking
 What am I trying to do?

Reflective Thinking
 What does it all mean?
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Environmental Science
Approaches to Knowledge and Thinking:
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Environmental Science
Approaches to Knowledge and
Thinking:

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
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Identify and evaluate premises and
conclusions in an argument.
Acknowledge and clarify uncertainties,
vagueness, equivocation, and
contradictions.
Distinguish between facts and values.
Recognize and assess assumptions.
Distinguish source reliability or
unreliability.
Recognize and understand conceptual
frameworks.
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Environmental Science
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Global Concerns:

An increased travel and
communication enables person
to know about daily events in
places unknown in previous
generations.

Common environment shared on a
global scale.
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Environmental Science
CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS:
Causes of Environmental Degradation
More than 6 billion people now occupy
the earth, and we add about 85 million
more each year.
 Most growth will be in poorer countries
where present populations already strain
resources and services

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Environmental Science.
Rich and Poor Countries:
Causes of Environmental
Degradation

About 20% of the world's
population live in the twenty richest
countries.

Average per capita income above
$25,000
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Environmental Science.
Rich and Poor Countries:
Causes of Environmental Degradation
 Other 80% live in middle or lowincome countries.


Ten poorest countries each have
average per capita income of less than
$200.00
Richest 200 people in the world
have a combined wealth of $1
trillion.

More than total owned by poorest half
of the world population (3
billion)
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Environmental Science.