What Is Science?

Question 1

List three ways that science can help you.

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Write a brief definition of science

Answer 2

Science is a powerful tool (or process) for understanding the natural world.

Question 3

What is a key driving force of science?

Answer 3

Curiosity, or Ignorance of nature’s secrets.

Question 4

What are five things that scientists generally DO?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Why do we not use “The Scientific Method” here?*

Answer 5

There is no ONE “Scientific Method.” There are many ways to do good science.

Question 6

Why is science not always logical?

Answer 6

Many observations in nature can be illusions, deceptive, not what they seem

Question 7

List three of the rules of science.

Answer 7

1. Answers must be testable
2. Scientific answers can be changed
3. They must be based on observation, not authority

Question 8

In what way is science like a game?*

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Why are most engineers and medical doctors not scientists?*

Answer 9

They apply the findings of science to practical uses (e.g., engineering and medicine).

Question 10

List three of the limits of science

Answer 10

a) can only answer certain kinds of questions
b) can only use certain kinds of answers
c) can be done poorly

Question 11

List three questions science cannot explain?

Answer 11

1) “What is good?”
2) “What is right?”
3) “Why do I love you?”

Question 12

Explain in a sentence why science cannot base an explanation on opinions or views.*

Answer 12

Science can only base explanations on critical observations; opinions and views are not nearly as reliable as critical observations (as done in scientific studies).

Question 13

List five kinds of answers science can not use?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What is probably the strongest and most unique feature of scientific studies?*

Answer 14

Testing possible explanations – trying to disprove them, (not prove them).

Question 15

How do scientists “test” possible explanations?*

Answer 15

They try to disprove them, destroy them, show they don’t work, by experiments and/or observations

Question 16

Explain in one sentence why science cannot use supernatural explanations.*

Answer 16

Supernatural causes cannot be properly tested because any results are possible.

Question 17

How could science study what seems to be a supernatural event?*

Answer 17

Make the working assumption that it does not have a supernatural cause.

Question 18

What is the main goal of science?

Answer 18

To understand nature (or the natural world).

Question 19

What do theories, laws, hypotheses and models all have in common?*

Answer 19

They are all terms used for explanations, each with different levels of uncertainty.

Question 20

Why is a scientific explanation not really a scientific fact?*

Answer 20

Because it’s formed in the brain, based on critically observed facts.

Question 21

Can facts change? If so, when?*

Answer 21

Yes, with new observations and/or techniques.

Question 22

What’s wrong with the idea that a theory is a mature hypothesis?*

Answer 22

Most scientific theories unite several hypotheses, observations and laws.

Question 23

What’s wrong with saying that science seeks the truth?*

Answer 23

Truth has different meanings, with some that don’t fit science.

Question 24

Why is uncertainty and tentativeness a strength of science?*

Answer 24

Uncertainty encourages more study to get better answers. It is a driving force of science.

Question 25

Give two reasons why scientific theories are the most useful and successful explanations.*

Answer 25

They are well supported by many tests in many studies; they work reliably.

Question 26

Give one example of a strong theory that was replaced with a new, better scientific theory.

Answer 26

Atomic Theory

Question 27

What are two clues that an ad claiming scientific support may not be true?*

Answer 27

Science has proven…” and “Doctors say..

Question 28

List three reasons why poor science happens?

Answer 28

To sell a product or spread a personal belief;
The heavy influence of biases and prejudices;
Failure to follow all the rules of good science.

Question 29

What is the one feature of good science that is different from poor science?

Answer 29

Follows all the rules of science, closely and carefully

Question 30

List two ways that personal bias can influence science?*

Answer 30

It can influence how we observe and how we analyze (or infer) what we observe.

Question 31

What are three features of good science that tend to make it stronger.

Answer 31

Clearly tries to critically test (disprove) its hypothesis;
Published in peer-review journals;
Results agree with other studies in different fields (consilience).

Question 32

What is one clue that a published scientific claim may not be good science?

Answer 32

It’s not published in a peer-review journal, just a trade book or magazine article

Question 33

You want to use the internet to see if a health product does what it claims.
What two things would you look for to get the most reliable information?

Answer 33

Seek report on university or medical institute site not funded by the product’s makers.
Seek unbiased critical resources, e.g., Consumer Reports, Skeptical Inquirer.

Question 34

What is consilience? How does it affect our confidence in the explanation produced?*

Answer 34

Consilience is when different studies in different fields all reach the same conclusion. It greatly strengthens the validity or reliability of that conclusion.

Question 35

List three characteristics of well-done science.

Answer 35

1) attempts to follow all the rules of science
2) tries to disprove its own explanations
3) excludes mystical (or supernatural) explanations

Question 36

What are three typical features of a pseudoscience

Answer 36

1) ignores some or all rules of science
2) tries to prove its own explanations
3) includes mystical explanations

Question 37

Name three examples of pseudoscience that you have heard about before.

Answer 37

FILL IN

Question 38

List two reasons why it is important to know how to recognize a pseudoscience?

Answer 38

1) If not wary, it can fool you into making false assumptions, e.g.,vaccinations can cause autism
2) non-scientific process produced an effective medicine;

Question 39

Name three of those non-science “windows of knowledge” or “ways of knowing.

Answer 39

Philosophy, direct observation, pure logic,

Question 40

True/false: There is not a lot of understanding about science

Answer 40

false

Question 41

True/false: Science cannot use mystical or supernatural forces in their explanations

Answer 41

true

Question 42

True/false: The goal of science is to understand the natural world

Answer 42

true

Question 43

What is the definition of a theory

Answer 43

Highest degree of acceptance, reliability, usefulness

Question 44

Hypothesis

Answer 44

Lowest degree of acceptance, reliability, usefulness

Question 45

Models

Answer 45

Explanations with unspecified level of acceptance; description, diagram, structure