Lesson 1.2: Science in Society
The Language of Science: Science is a universal language Most root words, prefixes, and suffixes are derived from Latin Bio- = life Auto- = self Genesis = origin Synthesis = to make -logy = study of -phobia = fear of
Ecology: Ecology is the study of how life interacts with its environment. ‘Big ideas’ in ecology: Environmental Ethics Ecosystems Environmental Policies Communities Conservation Efforts Populations Earth’s Resources
Science in Society: Science and society influence each other
Science will not address issues such as: Ethics, which are a person’s moral values/beliefs, are major issues in science and society Science explains why natural phenomenon occur and how technology can be applied Science will not address issues such as: Whether or not technology should be used Why life exists Meaning of life
Bias = Prejudice/ Favors one side/ Unfair Some scientists will perform biased experiments by setting it up so that the outcome is what they expected Double blind studies are the best way to prevent bias by using 1 test group and 1 control group to compare results “I’m part of a double blind study to see how weight loss supplements help people lose weight. I’m guessing I received the sugar pill placebos.”
Scientific Theories: Scientific Theories are well-tested explanations for a wide range of phenomena in the natural world Theories are complex, encompass a large number of ideas, and explains how something happens Does not mean absolute truth They are constantly revised as new scientific information is discovered
Scientific Laws: Scientific Laws are a description of natural phenomena that occur in the world, and cannot be changed Laws are final, encompass only one idea, and describe why something happens Laws have NO exceptions!
Scientific Resources: Good Science References are peer/scholarly reviewed! Examples include: Scholarly/Scientific Journals Educational Textbooks Scientific Magazines Credible websites .gov/ .edu (reliable) .org/ .com (subjective)
Scientific Resources: Bad Science References: Wikipedia as the ONLY source Opinionated sources: Blogs Newspapers Pop Culture Magazines Scientists are skeptical of experiments published without being reviewed by other qualified scientists first