Scientific Literacy Flashcards
What is scientific literacy?
Scientific ways of knowing and the process of thinking critically and creatively about the natural world
Why should we care about scientific literacy?
It affects our wallet, affects how we vote, affects our health
Science must be…
Reproducible
How can science change?
New studies and data, larger sample sizes, new technology
What happens when science changes?
New findings replace the older ones, new information is incorporated moving forward
What is a theory?
Principle to explain an aspect of the works and universe that has been repeatedly tested and verified using the scientific method
What is the best data source?
Primary sources, including original data and peer-reviewed publications
What is the second best data source?
Gray literature; government publications, reports, theses, scientific documents that have not been peer-reviewed
What is the criteria of good publications?
Clear hypothesis, well-defined variables, data available, lack of error/bias, acknowledges shortcomings, future directions, does not draw conclusions outside of the scope of their findings
What are some issues in science?
Pay thousands of dollars to publish, it can take months to years to get publish, a lot science can go unpublished due to negative results
What is correlation?
Tests for a relationship between two variables
What is causation?
It indicates that one variable is the result of the other variable
What is needed for causation?
Empirical research
How is causation established?
It is usually established through well-designed experiments and controlled studies
