1. Notes Date Tennessee SPI Objective:
SPI 0807.Inq.5
(Bias and Error)
Date
Tennessee SPI Objective:
Identify a faulty interpretation of data that is due to bias or experimental error.
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Essential Question(s)
1) What is bias, and why is it important to avoid this in science experiments?
2) What is an error, and why is it important to avoid this in science experiments?
Check for Understanding
Examine scenarios from history that included either
bias or errors.

2. Bias and Error in Science
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Notes
Science
Bias and Error in Science
Bias: this means you are prejudiced towards or against something and that you allow your views to affect the results of your experiment.
Science is about obtaining accurate results
so bias should NEVER be allowed to influence
your experimental results!
Bias is Very Bad!
Bias
Bias

3. Example: You are doing research to determine which NFL quarterback has the greatest accuracy with throwing a football, and your favorite football team is the Tennessee Titans.
You are disappointed to learn that the Titans' quarterback is the second most accurate instead of the first.
Yet because this is your favorite team, you change the data so that the Titans quarterback appears to be the most accurate.
This is BIAS, and it should
NEVER be allowed in science.

4. Identify the bias or error in this situation.
Bubba
Example: Bubba loves extra salt on his “French-fried taters.”
He conducts an experiment to determine how much
better french-fries taste with lots of extra salt.
Identify the bias or error in this situation.
ANSWER: Because Bubba likes extra salt on his fries, he
wrongly assumes that everyone else will like extra salt too.
He is biased toward salt, so his results will contain errors.
BIAS should NEVER be allowed in science experiments!

5. BIAS should NEVER be allowed in science experiments!
A Case of Bieber Fever
Two students who love Justin Bieber’s music do an experiment to
measure how long people have to hear one of Justin’s songs before
they too fall in love with his sound.
Question: Which choice below most likely will occur in this case?
A) Bias C) Song and Dance
B) End of the world D) World Peace
Answer: These two students are biased towards Justin Beiber, so their results will be biased and wrong too.
BIAS should NEVER be allowed in science experiments!

6. Avoiding Bias in Science Copy Down These Actions
Humans are imperfect, so bias happens both intentionally and unintentionally.
Copy Down These Actions
Ways to Reduce and/or Eliminate Bias
Be aware that bias can and does happen.
Strive to recognize it, and eliminate it from your experiments.
Follow the steps and principles of the scientific method.
Most importantly, make sure that others rigorously review your work looking for bias (peer review).

7. Famous Examples of Bias in Science
Thomas Edison and Direct Current Electricity
Thomas Edison

8. Famous Examples of Bias in Science
Edison
Tesla
Famous Examples
of Bias in Science
DC vs AC (Edison vs Tesla: 1880s)
Edison promoted direct current electricity (DC), but Nikola Tesla promoted alternating current (AC).
Bias:
Experiments had clearly demonstrated that alternating current was more practical and less expensive.
Yet Edison was biased for DC and refused to yield.
Nearly all electricity generated today is AC

9. Famous Examples of Bias in Science
Dr. Hwang Wook Suk and Cloning Technology
Dr. Hwang Woo Suk

10. Famous Examples of Bias in Science
Cloning Technology (Dr. Hwang Woo Suk)
In 1999 he claimed to have cloned a cow.
In 2004 he claimed to have cloned human stem cells.
In 2005 he claimed to have cloned a dog.
Bias:
He had fabricated and/or deleted experimental data in order to make himself and his country look good.
In 2006 he was dismissed from Seoul National University, and he was indicted for fraud, embezzlement, and violations of bioethics laws.

11. Notes Science Errors in Science
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Notes
Science
Errors in Science
Avoid Mistakes:
One small error can result in all your experimental data being wrong.
So scientists work very hard to avoid making mistakes.
Peer Review:
One key way scientists deal with this issue is by having other scientists review their work to check for mistakes.
This very common practice is called peer review.

12. Copy Down These Actions
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Notes
Science
Copy Down These Actions
To Avoid Errors:
Follow the steps of the scientific method.
Have only one independent variable in each trial.
Correctly identify your dependent variables.
Include valid control trials.
Record in detail every step of your experiment.
Ask someone else to review all your work (peer review).

13. Famous Errors in Science
Mars Climate Orbiter: 1998

14. Famous Errors in Science Cost of this mistake: $327 million dollars
Mars Climate Orbiter:
Launched by NASA in December 1998, this robotic spacecraft was designed to study weather on Mars.
Expensive Mistake:
A design team used standard units (pounds) while a different design team used metric units (Newtons).
So instead of orbiting Mars, the spacecraft crashed to the surface of the red planet.
Cost of this mistake: $327 million dollars

15. Famous Bias and Errors in Science
Canals on Mars
Astronomer: Percival Lowell

16. Famous Bias and Errors in Science
From 1894 to 1908 Percival examined Mars with a telescope.
Planet Mars

17. Famous Bias and Errors in Science He was biased about this.
Percival was fascinated about the possibility of intelligent life on Mars. He wanted this to be true.
He was biased about this.
He observed hazy images of the surface of Mars.
His bias lead him to make significant errors about what he saw.
He wrongly concluded that the features on Mars were canals built by extraterrestrials (Martians).
Later observations by others confirmed that there are no canals or signs of intelligent Martian life.

18. Science Questions This question it not about bias. SPI 0807.Inq.5
This question is about finding an error.
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Questions
Science

19. Science Questions This question is about bias. SPI 0807.Inq.5
This question is not about finding an error.
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Questions
Science

20. This question it not about bias.
This question is about finding an error.

21. Science Questions This question is about bias. SPI 0807.Inq.5
This question is not about finding an error.
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Questions
Science

22. Science Questions This question it not about bias.
This question is about finding an error.
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Questions
Science

23. Science Questions This question is about bias. SPI 0807.Inq.5
This question is not about finding an error.
SPI 0807.Inq.5
Bias and Error
Questions
Science
Amazing Dirt