Lecture 1

Question 1

What is Science?

Answer 1

• Science is knowledge arranged and classified according to truth, facts, and the general laws of nature.
• Something we do
• Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge
• Science is a process that describes and explains the natural world (combo of the three above, we should be able to break it apart and study it)

Question 2

Describe vs. explain

Answer 2

Describe = What questions (single answer)
Explain = Why questions (detailed answers)

Question 3

Step 1

Answer 3

Make Observations
- Answer ‘descriptive questions’
- What is observed depends on carefully, technological abilities, and what you’re looking for
- One answer per question

Question 4

Descriptive Questions

Answer 4

Quantify
Measure
Count
Enumerate
(Qualitative and quantitive, you can spend a long time asking these questions)

Question 5

Step 2

Answer 5

Explain
- ‘Why’ questions are called causal questions
- seeks explanation for observed patterns
- leads to the testing of alternative explainations

Question 6

Causal Questions

Answer 6

• Ask why
• Can be phrased in many different forms
• Why is it like this, for what is the reason it should be like this, what’s up with that?
• Have many potential answers
• Sometimes more than one ‘correct’ answer
• Ability to answer depends upon your knowledge, skill, creativity, and persistence

Question 7

Critical Thinking

Answer 7

• Without good reasoning for believing in something, you might as well use one of these approaches
• Good reasons: increase the likelihood of a claim being true, relevant evidence, reliable sources, sound logical arguments
• Bad reasons: irrelevant to the truth of a claim, irrelevant evidence, unreliable sources, unsound logical arguments

Question 8

Three conclusions the Textbook will establish

Answer 8

1. If some of these ideas are true, knowing anything about anything is impossible
2. If you honestly believe any of these ideas, you reduce your chances of discovering what’s real or true
3. Rejecting these notions is liberating and empowering

Question 9

Descriptive vs. Causal

Answer 9

Why vs. What

Descriptive Question (what’s it like?
) -> Causal Question (Why?)