1. The Nature of Science Introductory Microbiology

2. What does Science mean to you?

3. Is this the process of Science to you?

4. We make a Hypothesis to explain observations.

5. Repeated experiments support our Hypothesis so it becomes a Theory

6. Further experiments prove our Theory true and it becomes a Law.

8. I have a name for this…

10. The Schoolhouse Rock version of Science.

12. Science isn’t taught like other subjects…

13. So students get stuck in the rote-memorization rut.

15. So what is wrong with that?

16. The problem is one of semantics

17. Define the word Apocalypse

18. Most of you go with this…

20. However, if you were a theologian, you would get…

22. Then how does Science work?

23. What is a Hypothesis?

24. “An Educated Guess” is too simplistic, you need to be more specific.

25. A Scientific Hypothesis has several features.

26. It must be experimentally testable.

27. It seeks to explain how a phenomenon works.

28. It predicts unknown results.

29. Likewise, a Scientific Theory is often misunderstood

30. Theories are NOT proven

31. Theories are hypotheses that have been expanded into general models of a phenomenon.

32. Theories are supported but falsifiable

33. Theories allow for the generation of new hypotheses.

34. A Scientific Law is probably the most misunderstood.

35. Laws are a distillation of repeated observations

36. Laws differ from theories in that they DO NOT posit explanations

37. Often Laws can be described as Mathematical Equations

38. The Big Picture

39. Observed Phenomenon Hypothesis Theory Law A description, often mathematical A posited model to explain the phenomenon Allows the formation of New Hypotheses Repeated experimentation And testing allows expansion And generalization