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Intro Science

Introdution to science, tells you the basic of science.

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Vivek Plawat
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9 views51 pages

Intro Science

Introdution to science, tells you the basic of science.

Uploaded by

Vivek Plawat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Great Idea #1

“Science is a way of knowing


about the natural world, based
on reproducible observations,
experiments and theory.”
What is Science? An Overview
1. Science as a way of knowing
a. What is science and why is it important?
b. How is science different from other ways
of knowing?
c. The syllabus, Blackboard, and i>Clickers
d. The four major branches of science

2. The idealized scientific method


a. The nature of scientific questions
b. The 4-step scientific method

3. Great Idea #1A: The universe is regular,


predictable, quantifiable, and reproducible
Science as a way of knowing
 What do you do in a science class that’s
different from philosophy or dance class?
 Make observations
 Take measurements
 Design and conduct experiments
 Perform calculations
 Ensure reproducibility

 Epistemology – “how we know what we


know.” (The three umpires story)
Science as a way of knowing

 “Science is the search for laws


that describe the organization
and evolution of the universe.”

 Most of the really important


questions cannot be answered
by science, but science can
help inform your decisions.
A Hierarchy
of Scientific Ideas
 Fact (a confirmed observation)
 Hypothesis (an educated guess)
 Law (a predictive mathematical
description of nature)
 Theory (a well established
explanation of nature)
Other Ways of Knowing
Art represents a personal vision (the
story of Pablo Picasso on a train).

In art, each person brings his/her own truth.


Other Ways of Knowing
Political Science: different people use the
same facts to arrive at different conclusions.
Other Ways of Knowing
Religion: Truth comes from
revelation or sacred texts.
Most theologians do not see a
conflict with science, because
the questions are different.
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience differs from science:
 It’s often based on belief, dogma
 It’s ideas are not testable.
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience differs from science:
 It’s often based on belief, dogma
 It’s ideas are not testable.

 Evaluation of a claim:
1. Are the ‘facts’ true as stated?
2. Is there an alternative explanation?
3. Is the claim falsifiable?
4. Does the claim require
unreasonable changes in
accepted ideas?
Who Built Stonehenge?
Who Built Stonehenge?
Why is Science important?
 Scientific principles are all around us, all
the time (look at today’s newspaper!).
 You’ll need science in your life:
 As a professional (medicine, law, business)
Why is Science important?
 Scientific principles are all around us, all
the time (look at today’s newspaper!).
 You’ll need science in your life:
 As a professional (medicine, law, business)
 As a consumer
Why is Science important?
 Scientific principles are all around us, all
the time (look at today’s newspaper!).
 You’ll need science in your life:
 As a professional (medicine, law, business)
 As a consumer
 As a parent
Why is Science important?
 Scientific principles are all around us, all
the time (look at today’s newspaper!).
 You’ll need science in your life:
 As a professional (medicine, law, business)
 As a consumer
 As a parent
 As a human being
Someday soon you or someone in
your family will have a genetic test .

Science plays important roles in our daily lives.


Syllabus & Contact Information
 Office: East Building 202
 Hours: Mondays 3:00-4:00pm
 Phone: 703-993-2163
 E-mail: [email protected]
 Brittany Shamenek:
[email protected]
 4 Exams (100 points each; top 3 count)
 Final Exam (300 points)
 i>Clicker questions (25 points each class max;
250 points maximum this semester)
 Museum visits, lectures, field trips (115 points)
 Special bonus opportunities!!! (40 points)
i>Clickers
 What is an i>Clicker
 How it works
 Practice question and graph
 Grading policy
 6 questions per class
 Two questions: automatic 3 points
 Four questions: 6 points or 1 point
 25 points maximum per class
 250 points maximum for semester
 Honor code
i>Clicker Practice Question
Turn on your personal i>clicker

How many i>Clicker points can you


get per class?
A. 10
B. 15
C. 20
D. 25
E. 30
The Structure of Science
 Science is divided into disciplines
 Historical (natural philosophy)
 Modern (branches of science)
 Different Approaches
 Field researchers
 Experimentalists
 Theorists
Branches of Science – Physics
The study of matter in motion
 Classical Physics
 Mechanics
 Gravity
 Thermodynamics
 Electricity and magnetism

 Modern Physics
 Nuclear & particle physics
 Quantum mechanics
 Relativity
Branches of Science - Chemistry
 The study of atoms and their interactions
 Materials science
 Organic chemistry (carbon)
 Inorganic chemistry
Branches of Science –
Earth Science
Study of the origin of Earth, its
present state, the dynamics of
Earth and other planets
 Geology (rocks)
 Geophysics (interior)
 Oceanography (oceans)
 Meteorology (atmosphere)
Branches of Science –
Life Sciences (Biology)
 The study of living systems
(at many scales)
 Molecules
 Cells
 Organs
 Organisms
 Behavior
 Ecosystems
Hierarchy of Sciences

Physics

Chemistry

Earth Science Life Sciences


Mathematics:
“The Language of Science”
 How to describe a tree?
 Using words:
 Poetic
 Scientific
 Mathematical
 Size, height, diameter
 Value of lumber
The Role of Math in Science
Linear Relationships

Source: http://permanite.net/IRL/graph2.jpg
The Role of Math in Science
 Linear Relationships

Source: http://permanite.net/IRL/graph2.jpg
Distance vs. Time of Fall
 Quadratic Relationships
Science Organizations
 AAAS = American Association for
the Advancement of Science
 Sigma Xi
 The National Academies
 Federal Funding Agencies:
 NIH = National Institutes of Health
 NASA = National Aeronautic and
Space Administration
 NSF = National Science Foundation
 DOD = Department of Defense
 DOE = Department of Energy
Federal Spending for R & D
Scientific Activities
 Research
 Publications (peer review)
 Conferences
 Grants
 Education
 Government policy
 Business (R & D)
Scientific Questions
1. Many important questions are
beyond science
 The meaning of life?
 Is there a God?
 Personal choices?
 “Science is the art of substituting
unimportant questions, which can be
answered, for important question,
which cannot.” Kenneth Boulding
Scientific Questions

2. Scientific questions are varied in style:


 Existence questions: What’s out there?
 Origin questions: How did they get there?
 Process questions: How does it work?
 Applied Questions: How can we use it?
Scientific Questions (continued)
3. Answers to old questions often lead to
new questions:
 “To know anything well involves a profound
sense of ignorance” John Ruskin
 X-rays, tectonic plates, genetic code,
buckeyballs
 SETI
Scientific Questions

4. Scientific questions are often


interconnected:
+ Plate tectonics/evolution
+ Mass extinction/climate change
Scientific Questions

5. Some questions are not now


scientific, but will be someday:
+ Cosmology in 1908
+ Consciousness today
Scientific Questions

6. Most scientific questions cannot


be answered completely:
 Experimental error
 Uncertainty principle
 Chaos
 Speed of light
The Idealized Scientific Method
Periodic Table of Elements
Dimitri Mendelev (1834-1907)
Periodic Table of Elements
A Hierarchy
of Scientific Ideas
 Fact (a confirmed observation)
 Hypothesis (an educated guess)
 Law (a predictive mathematical
description of nature)
 Theory (a well established
explanation of nature)
What Motivates Scientists?
(How do scientists measure success?)
 Curiosity
 Teaching & inspiring others
 Peer recognition (publications, grants,
awards)
 Financial gain
 Power and prestige

Scientific fraud: Can you trust scientists?


Dr. Albert Carl Koch
Mastodon

Source:
http://www.nature.ca/exhibits/popups/images/mastodon.jpg

Source:
http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/fossils/ima
ges/mastodon-melli.jpg
Missouri Leviathan
Basilosaurus
Source:
http://www.mheine.com/jpeg/basilo.jpg
Albert Karl Koch’s Sea-Serpent
The Nature of Science
 Science works to defeat fraud and error
 Bones = Data & observations
 Assembled Skeletons = Hypothesis
 Similar type bones = Prediction
 Germans put together properly = Re-test

 Science is self-correcting because new


discoveries will be tested.
FACTS MATTER!
The universe is regular,
predictable, quantifiable,
and reproducible.

 What evidence might you offer


that this statement is true?

 What about 5,000 years ago?

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