What is science? Science is both a body of knowledge and a process for gaining that knowledge that explains how the natural world works and how it got to be the way it is. As a process, science involves making observations, formulating hypotheses, experimenting, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions—but most of all, it involves curiosity.

Principle 1: If it’s science it’s consistent. Repeated observations and/or experiments give more or less the same results. Examples: There are about 55 M&Ms in a pack. Green plants grow toward light. Walking under a ladder causes bad luck.

Principle 2: If it’s science it’s observable. An event or evidence of an event can be observed by human senses or using tools that extend the senses. Examples: Anole lizards eat live crickets but not dead ones. Some people can contact the dead.

Principle 3: If it’s science it’s acknowledged to be tentative. Explanations are always being revised and corrected as more evidence is obtained. Example: We used to think the sun revolved around the earth: now we know that in this solar system everything revolves around the sun.

What is the effect of alcohol intake on weight gain? Bell ringer Independent variable: alcohol intake Dependent variable: weight gain Purpose question? What is the effect of alcohol intake on weight gain? Hypothesis? If more alcohol leads to greater weight gain, then people who drink more will gain more weight on average than people who do not.

Principle 4: If it’s science, it has predictive capability. A theory about the natural cause of an event leads to predictions that can be tested. Example: Without water green plants will die. If you always do your homework, your grades will be better. Non-example: If your birthday is today, you are a Libra and money and love are coming your way.

Principle 5: If it’s science, it must be testable. By gathering data through observation or experiment, a hypothesis that is false can be disproven. Example: Flossing your teeth will lead to fewer cavities. Lysol removes bacteria better than 409. Non-example: Salmon are guided back to the waters of their birth to spawn by the spirits of their dead ancestors.

Principle 6: If it’s science, it must involve natural causes Science can only use natural causes to explain why an event in the natural world occurs. Supernatural explanations are outside of science. Examples: The force of gravity causes dropped objects to fall. Green plants convert sunlight into energy. Non-example: God created the universe.

___1. Science is primarily a search for truth. ____ 2. Science can solve any problem or answer any question. ____ 3. Science is primarily concerned with understanding how the natural world works. ____ 4. Astrology (predicting your future from the arrangement of stars) is a science. ____ 5. Science is most concerned with collecting facts. ____ 6. A scientific fact is absolute, fixed, permanent. ____ 7. A scientific theory is merely an educated guess. ____ 8. Scientists have solved most of the major mysteries of nature. ____ 9. Anything done scientifically is always accurate and reliable. ____ 10. Scientists have observed that nature appears to follow the same “rules” throughout the universe. ____ 11. Science can be influenced by the race, gender, nationality, or religion of the scientists. ____ 12. All scientific problems must be studied with The Scientific Method. ____ 13. Disagreement among scientists is one of the weaknesses of science. ____ 14. Any study done carefully and based on observation is scientific. ____ 15. Knowledge of what science is, what it can and cannot do, and how it works, is important to be an educated person.