1. The Nature of Scientific Knowledge

2. Goal of Modern Science…
…to understand and explain how the natural world works.
Science only gives us descriptions of HOW the world works, not WHY the world is the way it is.
Bill Nye!!!

3. Science Makes Assumptions About Nature
Science Assumes…
…the world is real.
…humans can learn how the world works.
…that the behavior of natural events is the same throughout the universe.
…that natural processes are sufficient to explain natural events.

4. Limitations of Science
It is impossible to think of EVERY POSSIBLE EXPLANATION and nearly impossible to control for EVERY POSSIBLE VARIABLE.
Scientific knowledge is based on available evidence. Therefore, it is open to change and uncertain. Scientific knowledge is not absolute or eternal. “The door is always open.”

5. Science and Opinion
In all situations, science must remain neutral—it can have no opinions.
Science cannot answer “Why?”
Science cannot observe purpose.
Science cannot provide absolute “proof” of anything.
Science is religiously and philosophically neutral.

6. Why is there such an emphasis on the word "natural" when it comes to science?
“Natural” refers to “empirical” or “testable.”
Scientific explanations only refer to causes that we can reliably detect.
Because "supernatural" events or causes are, by definition, above the laws of nature that restrict our sensing abilities, they cannot be reliably detected and so are not useful as scientific explanations.
SCIENCE
100% All
Natural!

7. Science is A way of knowing.
Science is the “The Poetry of Reality”
Science is not the only way of knowing. There are other domains to turn to for the answers not given in science.
Philosophy
Theology
Religion

8. Scientific Fact
Fact: an observation or event confirmed to such a degree that it would be foolish to withhold provisional consent.
Scientific facts are not absolute, they can change if new evidence suggests that they should.

9. Hypothesis
Hypothesis: a proposed explanation of certain “facts” that must be testable in some fashion.
Plural: hypotheses
Hypotheses are either disproved or regarded as “provisionally true” and submitted to further testing.

10. What Is A Theory?
Theory: a well-established testable explanation of some aspect of the natural world; the framework within which new hypotheses are formulated and against which new data are evaluated.
A scientific theory is not just someone’s “hunch” or “guess.”
Theories are the most comprehensive of all scientific ideas and the endpoint of the scientific endeavor.

11. Observation vs. Inference
Observation: use of the senses to gather and record information about structures or processes in nature Inference: a logical conclusion based on observations
Example:
You see steam rising off of a cup of coffee. (Observation)
You conclude that the coffee is hot. (Inference)

12. Experiment
Experiment: an orderly procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, refuting, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis.
Experiments are situations that have been carefully managed to increase the chances of learning from the unexpected.

13. Theory
Fact
Law
Theory
Fact
Law
Hypothesis
Hypothesis

14. Summary
Write of brief, comprehensive summary (3-4 sentences) of your notes, focusing on the main ideas and crucial concepts.
Be prepared to share you summary with your classmates.