BSC 101 Unit (What is science... ) (1/4)

Community Analysis and Feedback (how science works)

Feedback and peer review, replication, discussion with colleagues, and publication combined with coming up with new questions/ideas and theory building

Life science

Field of science that studies living things

Physical science

Field of science that studies non-living matter (physics, chemistry, etc)

Culture of Science

Ideas are subject to scrutiny, honesty/integrity, attribution (giving appropriate credit) and ethics

Peer-reviewed article

a scientific report that is reviewed by a scientist's colleagues before publication

Testing Ideas (how science works)

this is when gathering and interpreting the data is combined to find a better understanding

Basic science

science that seeks to expand knowledge regardless of the short-term application of that knowledge

What the the four components of how science really works?

- Testing ideas - Exploration and discovery - Benefits and outcomes - Community analysis and feedback

Structure of scientific arguements

- hypothesis/theory - expected results/observations - actual results/observations

Why is the scientific method a myth?

- oversimplified - it implies one experiment can answer a research question - science is not linear - it implies science is an independent effort - lack of creativity, intuition, etc - ignores technology and society

Roles of the scientific community

-critics and fact checkers -collaborative generation of new ideas -watchdogs for bias and fraud -mutual motivation

Hypothesis

A plausible explanation for why you think you will see a prediction

Prediction

An expected observation, what you think you will see

Control

An experimental group used to establish a baseline measurement

Exploration and Discovery (how science works)

Consists of making observations, asking questions, sharing data and ideas, finding inspiration, and exploring literature. Inspired by new technology, a societal problem,F and curiosity.

Law

Detailed description using math of how something happens

Benefits & Outcomes (how science works)

Developing technology, addressing societal issues, building knowledge, satisfying curiosity and solving everyday problems

What does falsifiable mean?

It can be disproven by experimental results

How is the scientific method good?

It shows how scientists test ideas with evidence

What is the scientific method?

Method of research with defined steps that include experiments and careful observation

Are hypotheses upgrade to theories with evidence, and then upgraded to a law?

No, they all differ in what information is given

Five steps of the scientific method

Observe, question, experiment, evaluate hypothesis, and draw conclusions.

Data

Recorded observations

What is biology?

The study of living organisms and their interactions with one another and their environments.

Dependent variable

The variable that changes, depending on the independent variable

Independent variable

Variable that isn't changed by other factors

Natural science

a field of science that studies the physical world, its phenomena, and processes

Deductive reasoning

a form of logical thinking that uses a general principle or law to forecast specific results.

Inductive reasoning

a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion

Descriptive science

a form of science that aims to observe, explore, and find things out

hypothesis-based science

a form of science that begins with a specific explanation that is then tested

Applied science

a form of science that solves real-world problems

Theory

an evidence based explanation that can be used to explain something, inclusive of smaller hypotheses, no contradictory evidence