1. The World of Life Science
Chapter 1A
What is Science?

2. Understanding Science
What is science?
How do I think scientifically?
How is science limited?
How do I think Christianly about scientific thinking?

3. Science comes from the Latin word scientia, which means “knowledge.”
What is Science?
Science comes from the Latin word scientia, which means “knowledge.”

4. What is Science?
Science is the knowledge gained from careful, systematic investigation of the natural world.
(Science is the investigation and exploration of natural events and of the new information that results from those investigations.)

5. Life Science (Biology)
the study of living things
Life science is the knowledge gained when scientific investigation is applied to living things.

6. Science
How to systematically investigation the natural world?
(Model is a simple representation of a much more complex object or concept.)

7. Thinking Scientifically
Curiosity
Caution
Commitment to certain presuppositions

8. Curiosity
Scientists love to ask questions esp. why questions; If a person can find out what causes something in nature, he will have a good chance at finding underlying causes of events in nature.

9. He knows not everything he reads or hears is true.
Caution
He knows not everything he reads or hears is true.

10. Caution
He knows scientific thinking is based on observation (information a person gains by using one or more of his five senses).
Good scientific observations are repeatable.

11. Caution
After gathering enough information, scientists make an inference (a logical conclusion).

12. He knows science is limited.
Caution
He knows science is limited.

13. Limitations of Science
Science deals only with observables.
Scientific observation may be faulty
Scientists are influenced by bias
Science cannot make value judgments.
Science cannot prove universal negatives.
Science cannot provide final answers.

14. Scientists are influenced by bias
A bias is what someone wants to believe.

15. value judgment
a determination of the worth of something (deciding whether something is right or wrong, good or bad, valuable or worthless)
Oh, how cute!

16. a statement that excludes every other possibility
universal statement
a statement that excludes every other possibility
There are no aliens.

17. final answer
an answer that is absolutely true (and therefore never needs to be rejected or revised)

18. final answer
The goal of science is NOT to produce conclusions that are unquestionably true. The goal IS to produce observations and inferences that are workable. Finding predictions that work.

19. Only God’s Word is absolute truth.
Science is NOT about truth; it’s about finding predictions that work.
Only God’s Word is absolute truth.

20. What kind of answer can scientists give?
A verified answer
A verified answer is chosen at the end of an experiment because it is supported by repeated experiments or surveys. It is an answer supported by repeated experiments or surveys

21. Commitment to Certain Presuppositions
A presupposition is an idea that you take for granted.
Examples of presuppositions:
The natural world is a very orderly place.
The orderliness of the natural world can be known by humans.

22. Curiosity to the glory of God Caution controlled by Scripture
Thinking Christianly
Curiosity to the glory of God
Caution controlled by Scripture
Commitment to biblical presuppositions
Christians study science to help others, but they have an even bigger reason. Improving the lives of others through science brings glory to God and shows our love for Him!

23. Thinking Christianly
The Bible encourages Christians to think critically. (“My dear friends don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.” 1 John 4:1 MSG)
Only God’s Word is absolute truth. God is the Creator of all life. If you remove God from any part of your life, then that part of your life will become meaningless. Only God is able to give meaning to things He has made.