Great Idea #1 “Science is a way of knowing about the natural world, based on reproducible observations, experiments and theory.” “Science is a way of knowing about the natural world, based on reproducible observations, experiments and theory.”

What is Science? An Overview 1. Science as a way of knowing; how is it different from other ways of knowing? a. What is science? b. Why is science important? c. The syllabus d. BlackBoard e. i>Clickers f. Branches of science g. The sociology of science 2.The idealized scientific method a. The nature of scientific questions b. The 4-step scientific method c. Science as a social enterprise 3. Great Idea #1A: The universe is regular, predictable, quantifiable, and reproducible

Science as a way of knowing  What do you do in a science class that’s different from philosophy or dance class?  Observations  Measurements  Experiments  Calculations  Reproducibility  Epistemology – how we know what we know. (The three umpires)

Science as a way of knowing  “Science is the search for laws that describe the organization and evolution of the universe.”  Most of the really important questions cannot be answered by science, but science can help inform your decisions.

Other Ways of Knowing  Art  A personal vision (Picasso story) In art, each person brings his/her own truth.

Other Ways of Knowing  Art  Political Science

Other Ways of Knowing  Art  Political Science  Religion  Truth from revelation or sacred texts  Not in conflict with science

Pseudoscience  Pseudoscience  Often based on belief, dogma  Ideas are not testable

Pseudoscience  Pseudoscience  Often based on belief, dogma  Ideas are not testable  Evaluation of a claim 1.Are the ‘facts’ true as stated? 2.Is there an alternative explanation? 3.Is the claim falsifiable? 4.Has the claim been tested? 5.Does the claim require unreasonable changes in accepted ideas?

Who Built Stonehenge?

Why is Science important?  Scientific principles are all around us, all the time (look at today’s newspaper!).  You’ll need science in your life:  As a professional (medicine, law, business)  As a consumer  As a parent  As a human being

The Structure of Science  Disciplines  Historical (natural philosophy)  Modern (branches of science)  Different Approaches  Field researchers  Experimentalists  Theorists

Branches of Science – Physics The study of matter in motion  Classical Physics  Mechanics  Gravity  Thermodynamics  Electricity and magnetism  Modern Physics  Nuclear & particle physics  Quantum mechanics  Relativity

Branches of Science - Chemistry  The study of atoms and their interactions  Materials science  Organic chemistry (carbon)  Inorganic chemistry

Branches of Science – Earth Science Study of the origin of Earth, its present state, the dynamics of Earth and other planets Study of the origin of Earth, its present state, the dynamics of Earth and other planets  Geology (rocks)  Geophysics (interior)  Oceanography (oceans)  Meteorology (atmosphere)

Branches of Science – Life Sciences (Biology)  The study of living systems (at many scales)  Molecules  Cells  Organs  Organisms  Behavior  Ecosystems

Hierarchy of Sciences Chemistry Physics Life Sciences Earth Science

Mathematics: The Language of Science  Description of a tree  General  Poetic  Scientific  Mathematical  Size, height, diameter  Value of lumber

The Role of Math in Science Source: Linear Relationships

 Linear Relationships Source: The Role of Math in Science

Distance vs. Time of Fall  Quadratic Relationships

Science Organizations  AAAS = American Association for the Advancement of Science  Sigma Xi  The National Academies  Federal Funding Agencies:  NIH = National Institutes of Health  NASA = National Aeronautic and Space Administration  NSF = National Science Foundation  DOD = Department of Defense  DOE = Department of Energy

Federal Spending for R & D

Scientific Activities  Research  Publications (peer review)  Conferences  Grants  Education  Government policy  Business (R & D)

Scientific Questions 1. Many important questions are beyond science  The meaning of life?  Is there a God?  Personal choices?  “Science is the art of substituting unimportant questions, which can be answered, for important question, which cannot.” Kenneth Boulding

Scientific Questions 2. Scientific questions are varied in style  Existence questions: What’s out there?  Origin questions: How did they get there?  Process questions: How does it work?  Applied Questions: How can we use it?

Scientific Questions (continued) 3. Answers to old questions often lead to new questions:  “To know anything well involves a profound sense of ignorance” John Ruskin  X-rays, tectonic plates, genetic code, buckeyballs  SETI

Scientific Questions (continued) 4. Scientific questions are often interconnected: + Plate tectonics/evolution + Plate tectonics/evolution + Mass extinction/climate change + Mass extinction/climate change 5. Some questions are not now scientific, but will be someday + Cosmology in Cosmology in Consciousness today + Consciousness today

Scientific Questions (continued) 6. Most scientific questions cannot be answered completely:  Experimental error  Uncertainty principle  Chaos  Speed of light

The Idealized Scientific Method

Periodic Table of Elements Dimitri Mendelev ( )

Periodic Table of Elements

A Hierarchy of Scientific Ideas  Fact (a confirmed observation)  Hypothesis (an educated guess)  Law (a predictive mathematical description of nature)  Theory (a well established explanation of nature)

What Motivates Scientists? (How do scientists measure success?) PERSONAL MOTIVES  Curiosity  Teaching & inspiring others  Peer recognition (publications, grants, awards)  Financial gain  Power and prestige Scientific fraud: Can you trust scientists?

Dr. Albert Carl Koch

Mastodon Source: Source: ges/mastodon-melli.jpg

Missouri Leviathan

Basilosaurus Source:

Albert Karl Koch’s Sea-Serpent

The Nature of Science  Science works to defeat fraud and error  Bones = Data & observations  Assembled Skeletons = Hypothesis  Similar type bones = Prediction  Germans put together properly = Re-test  Science is self-correcting because new discoveries will be tested

The universe is regular, predictable, quantifiable, and reproducible  What evidence might you offer that this statement is true?  What about 5,000 years ago?