1. “It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.”
Jacob Chanowski
Please leave your cell phone on silent and put away.
Please have your clicker ready.

2. Clicker problems
Please do not contact me with clicker issues. Sorry, but I cannot help.
This is a 3rd party system over which I have no control.
Contact Turning Technologies support
Or the interns in Meyer Library

3. Grading opinion Would you prefer grading to be
A) curved (fixed # of As and Bs…)
B) straight % (89.5+=A, =B...)

4. Grading opinion
Would you prefer grading to use the +- system? (No A+, but also no D-)
A) Yes, used the +- system.
B) No, use only A, B, C, etc.

5. What shape is the Earth?
Could you prove it!

6. What is science? more concise (by me):
Google says, “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.”
more concise (by me):
understanding the world around us using observation, experiment, and deductive reasoning.

7. The scientific method Do an experiment or make an observation.
Determine an explanation (theory) for the observation.
From the theory, make predictions.
Make further observations to test the prediction.
Eliminate or refine the theory.

8. Observation Many people are wearing MSU logo shirts to class today.
Now you try to make a theory why that would be.

9. Observation Many people are wearing MSU logo shirts to class today.
Now you try to make a theory why that would be.
Now consider a way to test whether or not your idea is correct.

10. Observation
Sales of electric cars in the U.S. peaked in 2014 and have been declining since then. Why?
Now you try to : make a
theory why, then from
your theory, predict
different observations

11. Selection effects and biases.
All planets near to stars are rocky, like the Earth, the Moon, or Mars while all those far away from stars are gassy like Jupiter or Saturn.
There can be selection effects depending on how the sample is chosen or there can be biases based on weaknesses in the data or the method of getting the data.

12. How is science done?
“science” uses evidence to understand/infer how nature/the world/the Universe works.

13. Evaluate (compare) these two sentences:
I believe that people who work full time should make a decent wage.
I infer that employees work better when they are given a two hour lunch break.
How are these two sentences similar or different?

14. Belief (according to Google)
1. an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
"his belief in the value of hard work"
2. trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.
"a belief in democratic politics"
Inference (according to Google)
A conclusion reach on the basis of evidence and reasoning.
“there should be no inference drawn from the fact that he chooses not to be a witness”

15. Astro questions
How big is the Earth?

16. How big is the Earth? The Earth is about 6.4 million meters in radius.
Astro questions
How big is the Earth?
The Earth is about 6.4 million meters in radius.

17. Astro questions
How big is the Moon?

18. Astro questions How big is the Moon?
About 25% the size (not mass) of the Earth. 1.7 million meters in radius.

19. How far away are the Sun and Moon?
Astro questions
How far away are the Sun and Moon?

20. The Moon is 384 million meters from the Earth (~250,000 miles).
Astro questions
How far away are the Sun and Moon?
The Moon is 384 million meters from the Earth (~250,000 miles).
The Sun is 1.5x1011m from Earth (150 billion m, or ~93 million miles). This distance is called 1 astronomical unit (AU).

21. A picture of our solar system.
Order by size:
Earth, Moon, Sun, Stars, Comets, Planets

22. A picture of our solar system.
Order by size:
Earth, Moon, Sun, Stars, Comets, Planets
How could you determine these sizes?

23. What is at the center of our solar system?

24. What is at the center of our solar system?
The Sun
(How could you prove it?)