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Monday, September 26, 2011

Put It To The Test : Science; Scientific Method. connerstone spotlight week 3

Dr. Autumn Sutherlin

What defines science?
What assumptions does Science make?
What are the limitations of science?
What do scientists do?

1. Definition:
Observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural and physical world.

Intellectual activity carried out by humans to undrstand the structure and functions


What science is not.

Science is not technology.
Science is not certainty.
Science is not nature.

2. Assumptions of science.
There is a real universe.
The universe is ordered.
We can discover the principles on which it is ordered.
Subjected to change.

Lord Calvin:
"There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now; all that remains is more and more precise measurement."

Albert abraham nickelson "The more important fundamental laws and facts of physical science have all been discovered, abd these are so firmly establish that the possibility of their ever being supplanted in consequence of new discoveries is exceedingly remote.

Nevertheless, it has been found that there are apparent exceptions to most of these laws, and this particularly true when the oveservation are pushed...


3. Limitations of science.
Only answer a few things.
Why? What? When? How? Where?

It can't answer:
Beauty, morality, ethics.
Supernatural
Spiritual

The process of science.
Scientific method.

Ask a question
Do background research
Construct hypothesis
Do experiment
Analyze your results
Draw conclusion
Communicate results
Retest results

10 myths of the Scientific method:
myth 1. hypotheses turn into theories which eventually become as laws.
Myth 2. Hypotheses are reallt only educated guesses.
Myth 3. There exists a scientific method that is general and universal.
Myth 4. Certainty results when facts are accumulated and analyzed.
Myth 5. ....
Myth 6. Science is less creative than it is procedural.
Myth 7. All questions can be answered via the scientific method.
Myth 8. High objectivity is the hallmark of science.
Myth 9. Scientific knowledge is based mainly on experiment.
Myth 10. Scientists always review and check the work of their colleagues.

Scientist are curious.
Skeptical.
Work together with people.

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