Download Nature of Science

Nature of Science
Purpose of Science
► Science
is the
pursuit of
explanations of the
natural world
Goal of Science
► Improve
our quality
of life, sometimes
dramatically, by
learning more about
your bodies, the
world we live in and
the universe beyond
it.
► The
individual
purpose will change
depending on the
subject or branch of
science
► Biological science
has different goals
than astronomical
science.
What Makes Science Special?
► Characteristics
science
 Tentative
 Predictable
 Observable
 Testable
 Falsifiable
of
Science is Tentative
► Explanations
(theories, hypotheses, laws) of the
cause for the event are subject to change as
evidence changes (new technology, new
discovery, etc.)
► Science
is not concrete – explanations for
phenomena change (the world was never flat,
but people believe it was!)
Science is Tentative
► Although
science
does change, it is
also considered
reliable.
► One scientific
information is
generally accepted
by the community it
is more durable.
► Because
of the
tentativeness of
science, there is no
“proof”.
► Things are believed
to be true based on
the information we
have now, but
never proven.
Science is Predictable
► Accurate
predictions and conclusions are
based on natural causes NOT on assumed
information
► Goal of science is to predict what will
happen and explain why
Science is Observable
► The
event can be
observed by the
human senses, or in
some cases by
extensions of those
senses (microscopes,
satellites, telescopes,
etc.)
Science is Testable
► Controlled
experiments can be designed to test
the natural cause of the event
Science is Falsifiable
► In
order for an idea to be falsifiable it must have
the potential to be shown to be wrong. In other
words, if it is impossible to show that something is
wrong, it isn’t falsifiable.
► Science
is not confirmatory – looking to prove you
are right is easy, trying to prove you are wrong
strengthens your idea.
► Example: I believe all swans are white. To show
I’m right it’s more feasible for me to try and find
one black swan, not to find all swans and
CONFRIM they are white.
Science is Different
► Science
is based on evidence, data and
logical thought
► Evidence & data are collected through
observations from senses or extensions of
those senses (telescopes, microscope,
satellite)
Science Jargon
► Observation
► Inference
► Hypothesis
► Law
► Theory
► Fact
► Most
have different meanings in science than they
do in common usage
Observation
► An
observation is something
that you take in through your
five senses (or in some cases
an extension of those senses)
 Five senses:
► Hearing
► Seeing
► Smelling
► Tasting
► Touching
Inference
► An
inference is an opinion or statement that
you can’t observe, but you believe to be
true because of your observations
► Example:
I wake up in the morning and there are
puddles on the street and drops of water on my
car and window – those are my observations,
which lead me to infer that it rained last night. I
believe this to be true, although I NEVER saw,
heard, smelled, tasted or touched it raining.
Hypothesis
► Scientists
tests hypotheses.
► A hypothesis is a testable STATEMENT,
NOT A QUESTION!
► In this class, we will write hypotheses in an
“If, then, because” manner.
► You never “prove” hypotheses, they are
either supported or not supported.
If, then, because
► Hypotheses
are written in this manner
because it explains the what you are doing,
a prediction of what you think will happen,
and why you think what you do.
► If ________, then_________,
because_______.
► If (I do this), then (this will happen),
because (reasoning).
Example
►I
want to test the difference in bacteria growth
between the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms. I believe
there is more bacteria growing on the boy’s
bathroom door than the girl’s bathroom door.
 Wrong way to write the hypothesis:
► Is
there more bacteria growing on the boy’s bathroom door
than the girl’s?
 Right way to write the hypothesis:
► If
I test both the female and male bathrooms, then there will be
more bacteria growth in the boy’s bathroom, because boys are
inherently filthier than girls.
Law vs. Theory
Law:
 a statement of a natural pattern.
 It is the “what happens”
 Laws are generalizations of patterns seen
 The “rules” of science
Theory:
 an explanation of why and/or how something is
happening.
 It is the “how and sometimes why it happens”
 The “explanations” of rules
Law vs Theory
►A
law is a statement of a pattern.
► A theory is an explanation for the pattern.
► A THEORY WILL NEVER BECOME A LAW!
► No
matter what, a theory will never become
a law – it is not a question of amount of
evidence!
Name Calling: “Just a Theory”
► Ideas
are not referred to as “theories” in
science unless they are supported by lots of
evidence that make their abandonment and
falsification very unlikely.
Facts in Science
►
A scientific fact is an observation that has been
confirmed over and over again
However, observations can change with better
technologies, or with better ways of looking at data.
► A fact is much more susceptible to change than a theory.
►
 Example: When I was in school I learned the fact that there
were NINE planets. Now, scientists don’t consider Pluto a planet.
FACTS CHANGE!
Scientific Method
► There
is not one way to do science – scientists do
science in many different ways, but they usually
include the same processes:








Identify the problem
Research the problem
Hypothesis
Experiment
Observe / Collect Data
Analyze and Draw Conclusions
Confirm / Repeat Results
Report Results
SCIENTIFIC
PROCESSES
INSTEAD
Scientific Processes
•Science involves being CREATIVE, imaginative
& inventive.
•There is NO SCIENTIFIC METHOD
•This is more an explanation of how
experiments are done.