Download Physical Science 410 Exam II 1. Creativity, Discovery, and Science

Physical Science 410 Exam II
1. Creativity, Discovery, and Science", Ronald Brown
1. Is it possible for the scientific observer to be totally objective and divorced completely
from what he examines?
*2. Brown discusses several beliefs and presuppositions that influence scientific work. What
are some of these?
3. How does Brown contradict the view that science is no more than a sterile accumulation
of facts?
4. Brown list numerous examples of nonconscious insight in scientific breakthroughs as
well as several cases of serendipity in science. What are some of these examples?
*5. Currently what process is followed to test new theories or ideas?
6. Brown also mentions the two different scientific skills or processes followed in the
development of new ideas or concepts. Relate these ideas to our discussion or ordinary
and extraordinary science.
*7. What parallels and contrasts are drawn between scientific creativity and artistic
creativity?
8. According to Brown's article, what fundamental concept provides the basis for the
scientific system?
9. What conclusions does Brown draw about the connection between Christian faith and the
rise of modem science?
10. One of the hallmarks of science is the reproducibility of experimental results by different
observers at different times. What practical considerations are mentioned in the article
when one considers making a "real world" application of this concept to certain
commonly occurring industrial or laboratory processes?
2. "The Scientific Enterprise"
*1. In what sense is there no such thing as "The Scientific Method!"?
*2. What are the three important aspects presented in the article by which science differs
significantly from the fine arts, literature, and philosophy?
*3. What is the major difference between the artist's approach to reality and the scientist's
approach to reality?
4. What limitations of science are presented in the article?
5. What is the difference between technology and science?What is the significance of
cooperative activity in modem science?
3. What do I need to know from lecture material
The handout already given will cover any questions taken from the two articles and also
gives some general discussion questions over the Nature and Practice of Science material.
I addition to this, you should know
*1. The Characteristics of Science (there are 8 listed). You should be able to list the
characteristics and to briefly explain what each means or how it applies. You will
either be given one or two characteristics to describe in your own words, or else
asked to list some subset of the 8 characteristics.
*2. The Limitations of Science (there are also 8 of these). The same comments as
above apply here, except be careful not to confuse the two listings!
*3. Cosmology: What was the significance of Hubble’s Law,the Cosmic
Microwave Background Radiation, the COBE satellite, and the WMAP data.
Identify the “Cosmological Redshift”, how the heavy elements in the universe
are presumably created. What is the universe mostly made of ? What is
the “Big Bang”? What is “Inflation”?
You should be able to identify/tell the significance of each of the following people:
Edwin Hubble, Albert Einstein, Alexander Friedman, Arno Penzias, Robert Wilson
*4. Be able to comment, knowingly, about the probabilities for life developing on the
Earth and in the universe. What is the anthropic principle? What effects might
catastrophic events have on the development of life? What is a habitable (goldilocks) zone?
5. Be able to make a reasoned pro/con statement about the existence of other life in the
universe.
*6. Be able to identify the content of Psalms 19:1-3
4. Questions from The Case for a Creator,Chapters 4, 5 & 7
7. (pp 74 ff) Molecular biologist Stephen Meyer lists 3 ideas that to him can only be
satisfactorily explained with Theistic explanations. What are these ideas/
8. What is the NOMA principle? Why should Christians find this principle unacceptable?
9. What are Meyer’s half-dozen evidences that he believes point to a transcendent,
intelligent cause.
*10. Beginning on page 84 Strobel gives 4 challenges to the idea that science today
points towards theism. What are these 4 challenges?
*11. What are the 3 points that make up the Kalaam argument for the existence of a
creator?
*12. On which of these points have the major attacks against this argument been
directed?
*13. In response to the Kalaam argument the following statements were quoted in the
book. “If everything must have a cause, how did god become exempt?” George
Smith. “If everything must have a cause, then the First Cause must be caused and
therefore; Who made God? To say that this First Cause always existed is to deny
the basic assumptions of this theory.” David Brooks. How would you respond to
these quotations? Hint: consider the statement of the Kalaam argument.
14. (pp101-102) A very popular argument presented in some circles today to
eliminate the requirement of “something originating out of nothing” is the concept
of the quantum “vacuum” and the idea that this sea of energy and virtual particles
allow the possibility that the particles ( and consequently possible the universe itself) may
spontaneously appear out of the “vacuum”. A quote is given from Edward Tryon, “I offer the
modest proposal that our universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to
time.” Bill Craig makes at least four objections to this idea. What are these objections?
*15. In the chapter on Cosmology (Chpt 5) what scientific evidence is presented for the
validity of the Big Bang concept? At least 3 main ideas are presented in pages 105-107, and
were also mentioned in class. What are these ideas?
*16. What is the Copernican Principle, or Principle of Mediocrity?
17. (161-164) Many point to the response of religion to the “new” ideas of Copernicus,
Galileo, and Giordano Bruno, as evidence of the war between science and religion.
Specifically that Copernicus was persecuted, Galileo was treated harshly, and Bruno was
burned at the stake because of their advocating that the Earth moved. How does Gonzalez
respond to this?
18. (167-172) In discussing the Galactic habitable Zone, Gonzalez discusses the 3
types of galaxies, Spiral, elliptical, and irregular. Which is presented as the only
likely candidate for possible life development and why?
19. (174) What is the problem with elliptical planetary orbits?
20. (175-176) Give at least 2 of the arguments why M class red dwarfs are very unlikely to
harbor complex life?
*21. Be able to give a couple of reasons why plate tectonics is crucial to the development of
life on Earth.
BONUS POINTS
If you can quote the following 2 verses in NIV or NASV, they are worth 3 points each.
Maximum of 6 points
Colossians 1:16-17 and Isaiah 55:9