Section 1 What Science is and is not. The goal of science is to investigate and understand nature, to explain events in nature and to use those explanations.
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Section 1What Science is and is not.
• The goal of science is to investigate and understand nature, to explain events in nature and to use those explanations to make useful predictions.
• Science is an organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world.
• The word Science also refers to the body of knowledge that scientists have built up after years of using this process.
• Observation involves using one or more of the senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and sometimes taste to gather information.
Quantitative Observation• Quantitative Observations involve
numbers.• An example of quantitative observation is
“There are 4 sharks in the water!”
Qualitative Observation• Qualitative Observations involve
characteristics that cannot be easily measured or counted, such as color or texture.
• A qualitative observation could be “That Great White shark has very rough skin!”
Interpreting the Evidence• An observation alone has little meaning in
science, because the goal is to understand what was observed.
• An Inference is a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience.
• Example: researchers might sample water from a reservoir, if samples collected from different parts of the reservoir are all clean enough to drink, the researchers may Infer that all the water in the reservoir is safe to drink.
Explaining the Evidence• A Hypothesis is a possible explanation for
a set of observations or an answer to a scientific question.
• In everyday settings, a hypothesis can be stated about any topic or idea.
• In science, a hypothesis is useful only if it can be tested.
• Hypotheses may arise from prior knowledge, logical inferences, or imaginative guesses.
• The testing may sometimes be done by making further observations or through careful questioning.
• The tests of a hypothesis may support it, or suggest that the hypothesis is partly true but needs to be revised.
• No matter what the outcome, a tested hypothesis has value in science because it helps researchers advance scientific knowledge.
Anole Dewlap Display• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS7mZF
wUTFg&feature=relmfu
Mid-Section Review• Define Data• Define Science• Define Inference• Define Quantitative Observation• Define Qualitative Observation• Define Hypothesis• What is the goal of science and why?• In everyday settings:• A hypothesis may arise from:• The tests of a hypothesis may:• The word science refers to:
A Scientific View of the World• Scientists are persuaded by logical
arguments that are supported by evidence.
• For scientists, science is an ongoing process, not the discovery of an unchanging, absolute truth.
• Scientific findings are always subject to revision as new evidence is developed.
• Certain qualities are desirable in a scientist: Curiosity, honesty, openmindedness, skepticism, and the recognition that science has limits.
• Science cannot help you answer moral questions.
• Science cannot help you decide whether a painting is beautiful or cheating on a test is wrong.
Science and Human Values• Today, scientists contribute information to
discussions about health and disease, and about the relationship between human beings and the rest of the living world.
Quiz• What is the goal of science?• An organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world
___________.• Science starts with an _____________.• Information gathered from observations is known as ____________.• What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative
observations?• a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience is
known as ______________.• a possible explanation for a set of observations or an answer to a
scientific question is known as a ____________________.• A theory enables scientists to:• In science, testing a hypothesis often involves:• Today, scientists contribute information to:
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