Midterm Chapters: 1,2 Flashcards
List three ways that science can help you.
a) Recognize when it’s not being used properly
b) Required or helpful for nearly all jobs/careers
c) Helps with critical and skeptical thinking.
Write a brief definition of science
Science is a powerful tool (or process) for understanding the natural world.
What is a key driving force of science?
Curiosity, or Ignorance of nature’s secrets.
What are five things that scientists generally DO?
a) observe nature and natural processes, and ask questions about nature.
b) search for answers in earlier studies about that issue.
c) think of possible explanations and answers to those questions.
d) test those possible explanations to eliminate those that don’t work.
e) peer-review: critically examine studies of other scientists.
f) publish their studies in peer-review professional science journals.
Why do we not use “The Scientific Method” here?*
There is no ONE “Scientific Method.” There are many ways to do good science.
Why is science not always logical?
Many observations in nature can be illusions, deceptive, not what they seem
List three of the rules of science.
- Answers must be testable
- Scientific answers can be changed
- They must be based on observation, not authority
In what way is science like a game?*
Science has special rules. If those rules are not followed, poor science can result. Likewise, if the proper rules for a game are not followed, it could be chaos.
Why are most engineers and medical doctors not scientists?*
They apply the findings of science to practical uses (e.g., engineering and medicine).
List three of the limits of science
a) can only answer certain kinds of questions
b) can only use certain kinds of answers
c) can be done poorly
List three questions science cannot explain?
1) “What is good?”
2) “What is right?”
3) “Why do I love you?”
Explain in a sentence why science cannot base an explanation on opinions or views.*
Science can only base explanations on critical observations; opinions and views are not nearly as reliable as critical observations (as done in scientific studies).
List five kinds of answers science can not use?
a) answers from authority alone
b) answers based on opinions, feelings, impressions, beliefs
c. answers based on logic or common sense alone
d) answers that cannot be tested, e.g., supernatural or mystical powers
e) answers that do not survive testing
What is probably the strongest and most unique feature of scientific studies?*
Testing possible explanations – trying to disprove them, (not prove them).
How do scientists “test” possible explanations?*
They try to disprove them, destroy them, show they don’t work, by experiments and/or observations
Explain in one sentence why science cannot use supernatural explanations.*
Supernatural causes cannot be properly tested because any results are possible.
How could science study what seems to be a supernatural event?*
Make the working assumption that it does not have a supernatural cause.
What is the main goal of science?
To understand nature (or the natural world).
What do theories, laws, hypotheses and models all have in common?*
To understand nature (or the natural world).
Why is a scientific explanation not really a scientific fact?*
Because it’s formed in the brain, based on critically observed facts.
Can facts change? If so, when?*
Yes, with new observations and/or techniques.
What’s wrong with the idea that a theory is a mature hypothesis?*
Most scientific theories unite several hypotheses, observations and laws.
What’s wrong with saying that science seeks the truth?*
Truth has different meanings, with some that don’t fit science.
Why is uncertainty and tentativeness a strength of science?*
Uncertainty encourages more study to get better answers. It is a driving force of science.
Give two reasons why scientific theories are the most useful and successful explanations.*
They are well supported by many tests in many studies; they work reliably.
Give one example of a strong theory that was replaced with a new, better scientific theory.
Atomic Theory
