Biology

Give an example of Pseusdoscience.

"Naturally" flavored water saying that it will make you look younger and live longer, because it contains vitamins and nutrients.

Describe the characteristics of a scientific hypothesis.

A hypothesis must be logical, it must account for all current information, it must be testable, it must make the least possible assumptions, and it must be a naturalistic explanation.

Explain the difference between a Scientific Law and a Scientific Theory.

A theory is a broad general statement that is generally accepted that explains why things happen.

Name several issues that biological research may resolve in the near future?

A vaccine may be developed for AIDS

Generative processes are ________?

Activities that increase the size of an organism and activities that increase the amount of organisms.

What is recreation of an event or occurrence in a way that enables a scientist to support or disprove a hypothesis?

An Experiment

Under the rules of skeptical thinking, arguments about whether neurobiological experiments should proceed are best determined by whom?

Arguments from neurobiologists regarding whether or not experiments should be done

nature of the object existing in advance of the actual animal or plant

Aristotle

nature of the object existing in advance of the actual animal or plant.

Aristotle

Which one of these is NOT a fallacy of logic?

Asking a question where you don't know the answer.

In which field do people continually challenge and test principles to determine cause/effect relationships?

Astronomy and Physics

Compare inductive and deductive reasoning?

Biology is the "study of life." Biology helps us to understand why we have an illness and the correct remedy for it. Biology also imparts an appreciation for ecosystems and the many species that must be a part of them and our role within nature.

Why is it important for the average person to have an understanding of biology?

Biology is the "study of life." Biology helps us to understand why we have an illness and the correct remedy for it. Biology also imparts an appreciation for ecosystems and the many species that must be a part of them and our role within nature.

In what three ways can a hypothesis be tested?

By the gathering of historical information such as looking for fossils; By making additional observations from the natural world; By experimentation

evolution by Natural Selection

Darwin

evolution by natural selection

Darwin

The Scientific method involves systematic thought and includes:

Deductive and inductive reasoning

List five basic assumptions in science.

Events can be identified; Can be observed by others; Same fundamental rules of nature apply; Same cause each time it occurs

What is the key theme in biology?

Evolution

One can test a hypothesis by:

Experimentation, Historical Information, Observations from the natural world

Darwin's hypothesis states that "The characteristics which allow for more variation in a particular environment are inherited by the next generation."

F ("...allow for more reproduction in a...")

A theory is a new untested idea about something.

F, it is an explanation based on repeated and careful testing

Thinking critically allows us to make decisions based only on subjective information.

F; critical thinking requires objective data

If I have a logical chain of argument to my hypothesis, then the argument is valid even if the initial premise was not verifiable.

F; every step in the argument must be true especially the premise.

If an idea is not scientific and/or not testable, then it is wrong.

F; just because an idea is not testable or "scientific" does not mean it is invalid. The idea must have value, however. The idea of saintly behavior cannot be tested but it sets up an ideal of behavior that all can aspire toward.

"Survival of the fittest" is a very accurate phrase used to describe evolution by natural selection.

F; proliferation of the slightly better for a given environment is a better way of understanding

A hypothesis is always illogical.

False

Pseudoscience is a practice that uses true findings to sell a product and show that the product is validated by science.

False

Malthus' theory includes evolution by natural selection (analogy to artificial selection).

False - Malthus' theory claimed that limited resources in an environment would limit the numbers of a population living in that environment.

Non-scientists can test their hypothesis directly and often establish cause and effect relationships.

False, An example of a field where direct testing is not possible is history. Yet data discovered during historical research can be used to support an explanation of what went on. However, one cannot directly observe history or re-run the historical events to see what might have happened.

Science is a way of thinking that involves testing possible answers to ALL questions.

False, Science cannot disprove or prove questions regarding the existence of supernatural entities. On the flip side, religion cannot answer questions of science.

When designing experiments, the experimental group is the group in which there is no manipulation of the variable.

False- Control group

A Hypothesis is proven but not supported.

False. Hypothesis are supported with data but in principle cannot be proven.

Darwin coined the phrase "survival of the fittest."

False; Herbert Spencer used it first; Thomas Huxley used it thereafter.

Aristotle believe in the inheritance of acquired characteristics and evolution by natural selection.

False; he believed that creatures were moving toward perfection from "seed types" but had no mechanism to describe how this occurred.

Louis Pasteur's theory that microorganisms cause disease and decay led to the development of:

Food- preservation method know as pasteurization and Vaccinations against rabies

Which is a process in the scientific method?

Forming a Hypothesis

Which of the following are tests of natural selection theory?

Fossil Record, Biogeography, Molecular Homology

____________ are activities that result in an increase in the size of an organism--growth--or an increase in the number of individuals in a population.

Generative processes

Which question could be explained through the design of an experiment?

If given a choice between mice and canned cat food, which would cats choose?

Give an example of both a dependent and an independent variable in designing an experiment.

If one is determining if Miracle Grow makes plants grow better: The Independent variable is the presence or absence of fertilizer in a flower population.

What is the difference between simple correlation and a cause and effect relationships?

In the first case, two events may happen together but one event does not necessarily cause the other.

Name two areas where Biology may focus research in the next few years.

Investigating if climate change is a result of global warming and the relationship between heredity and diseases.

Distinguish between responsive processes of irritability, individual adaptation, and evolution.

Irritability is a rapid response to a change in the surroundings around you. Individual adaptation is a response to a change but it is a slower process because it requires growth to take place.Evolution is an even slower change that happens in the genetic makeup of a population which takes place over many generations.

What are the three categories of responsive processes?

Irritability, individual adaption and evolution.

Non-sequitur is Latin for what?

It does not follow

What does ad hominen mean?

It means "to the man" and includes of attacking the arguer rather than their argument.

inheritance of acquired characteristics

Lamarck

Which of these is an example of a cause-and-effect relationship?

Lightning causes thunder

What is the name of the scientist who invented Pasteurization?

Louis Pasteur

geology explained by uniformitarianism and ancient age of the Earth

Lyell

What steps are involved in the scientific method?

Make observations; Ask questions; Form an hypothesis; Test the hypothesis; Revise the hypothesis; Communicate with other scientists; Draw conclusions; Show how the conclusions fit with current scientific theories and laws; Develop a new scientific theory or law.

limited resources for a population

Malthus

Nutrient uptake, nutrient processing, and waste elimination are all a part of:

Metabolic processes

What are the five characteristics that living things show and non-living things do not show?

Metabolic processes; Generative processes; Responsive processes; Control processes; A unique structural organization

What is the difference between metaphysical and methodological naturalism? Which one do you want to avoid?

Methodological naturalism is an approach used in science that limits the kinds of questions which can be asked to phenomena explainable by natural processes and causes. Metaphysical naturalism is the philosophy that nothing but naturalistic causes and processes and our five senses exist.

Name at least two basic assumptions in science.

Natural events have specific causes; The causes for events in nature can be identified

Can science be used to prove or disprove the existence of God?

No, because when it comes to the supernatural, a person can multiply their explanations sometimes beyond what seems to be astounding

Can Sparky the Sun Devil ever truly be dismissed from being in control of making a flash light work?

No.

List the order of the Scientific Method.

Observation- ask questions- form a hypothesis- test hypothesis- draw conclusions- review

List the components of the scientific method.

Observation; Questions; Exploring; Hypothesis; Experiment; Evaluate; Review by peers

Explain Occam's Razor.

Occam's Razor is the idea if using the simplest explanation of the data without multiplying the explanation.

complexity = design, inferring Designer

Paley

complexity equals design, inferring Designer

Paley

The following quote: "Religious truth and scientific truth must ultimately be in harmony" belongs to:

Pope John Paul II

If someone drenches a product advertisement with unverifiable claims worded in the language of science, what tool are they using?

Pseudoscience.

Why are some things impossible for science to explain?

Science cannot work without observable facts, and when there aren't enough facts (the existence of supernatural entites, for example) science must remain mute and not attempt to explain what cannot be submitted to testing.

What is science and its purpose; what are its limitations?

Science seeks to observe and record natural occurrences in the natural world. Furthermore, the data collected by these observations are typically used to manipulate and control various natural occurrences. Because science is a study of the natural, it's limitations are the supernatural.

Which of these is not an assumption scientists make when employing the scientific method?

Some causes for events in nature can't be observed

An idea may be valid, but it is not science unless it can be tested and revised.

T

Darwin's hypothesis stated that "the characteristics that allow for more reproduction in a particular environment are inherited by the next generation."

T

Metaphysical naturalism basically says that nature is all there is.

T

The theological concepts of "Soul" and "God's love" can be considered valid but they are not scientifically testable.

T

There should be independent confirmation of the facts when possible.

T

What is the term that describes an end point which appears to have had a purpose or direction?

Teleonomy

When constructing a hypothesis, it must be ___ so that it may provide a possible answer to a question or an explanation for an observation.

Testable

When constructing a hypothesis, it must be________________ so that it may provide a possible answer to a question or an explanation for an observation.

Testable

If someone claimed to be a believer of metaphysical naturalism, what would that mean they believe?

That would mean they believe that anything that cannot be answered scientifically or empirically should not be addressed.

Energy is defined as _______?

The ability of an organism to do work.

What is an "appeal to ignorance?"

The claim that whatever has not been proved false must be true and vice versa. "Just because you've never seen an angel, doesn't mean they are not there."

Find one fossilized bee or flower in Cretaceous limestone over 270 million years old and what happens?

The entire field of geology has to be re-thought since these fossils are found roughly 200 million years ago in the Paleocene period long after dinosaurs went extinct. This shows that geology and its hypotheses are testable since the experiments in geology consist of digging and looking for fossil data.

Why is it improper to use science to prove the existence of God?

The scientific method can't be used because the existence of supernatural entities cannot be tested using its processes which rely on naturalistic observations.

What limits science?

The scientist and his imperfections

A __________ is a widely accepted, plausible, general statement about fundamental concepts in science that explain why things happen.

Theory

How did the introduction of zebra Mussels affect the United States?

They filter the food of other freshwater animals out of the lake, cause them to die, and they also attach to native mussels causing them to die.

Although an idea may be valid, it is not science if it cannot be tested and revised.

True

An idea is scientifically valid only if it can be tested or revised.

True

Deductive reasoning draws conclusions from premises.

True

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.

True

Metabolic processes are all the chemical reactions and associated energy changes that take place within an organism.

True

Science is limited by the ability of people to figure out how the natural world works.

True

The Latin phrase non sequitur means that the conclusion does not follow from the premises made.

True

The scientific method can only be applied to questions that have a naturalistic and factual base?

True

Pseudoscience uses scientific appearances to mislead.

True (however, it may not be realized by the people that they are intentionally trying to mislead)

A good scientist should not let his/her biases get in the way of their experiments.

True (those who do are usually corrected by others . . . eventually)

Describe pseudoscience, and then briefly give an example of this practice

Uses appearance or language of science to mislead people into believing something has scientific validity. Examples

Same basic ideas as Darwin but teleological

Wallace

Who had essentially the same ideas as Darwin but added a teleological (purpose filled) goal that all creatures were aiming towards?

Wallace

same basic ideas as Darwin but teleological

Wallace

Which of the following professionals would be most qualified to answer and discuss a question about child behavior?

a psychologist

Identify the fallacy of logic in either of these arguments: "There is no need to understand Rev. Smith's objections to evolution because he is a biblical fundamentalist anyway." OR "There is no need to understand Dr. Jones' objections to religion because he is an atheist anyway."

ad hominem

All of the following are valid approaches to "doing science" EXCEPT:

ancient wisdom

The scientific method requires systematic thought that is:

deductive and inductive

The purpose of the stories in the bible are to . . .

learn about spiritual truths

According to the germ theory, what causes infectious diseases?

microorganisms

What is a thoughtful and careful recognition of an event or a fact?

observation

The following statement is an example of what type of logical fallacy?

post hoc, ergo propter hoc

Which processes allow organisms to react to their surrounding?

responsive processes

Which is NOT an observation made by Darwin?

the characteristics desired by an individual to allow for more reproduction can be inherited by the next generation

What is a widely accepted, plausible, general statement about fundamental concepts in science that explain why things happen?

theory

Scientific theories:

which are supported by experimentation provide useful frameworks for prediction and explanation and can be modified if new data become available.