Chapter 1: The Science of Biology Section 1: What is Science?

SCIENCE IS NOT a process that can solve any problem or question 2. can ignore rules 3. seeks the truth or facts 4. attempts to prove things 5. can produce any kind of explanation 6. produces certainties or absolute facts 7. can always be relied upon to be totally accurate 8. is always properly used 9. is free from values, opinions or bias 10. in which understanding comes from faith or beliefs 11. in which one solution is as good as another 12. scientific theories are “tentative ideas” or “hunches

Key Concept -Explain what the goal of science is. Vocabulary -science -observation -data -inference -hypothesis

What Science IS and IS NOT… The goal of science is to investigate and understand the natural world, to explain events in the natural world, and to use those explanations to make useful predictions.

SCIENCE An organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world.

Thinking Like a Scientist Scientific thinking usually begins with… (1) OBSERVATIONS: the process of gathering information about events or processes in a careful, orderly way.

Thinking Like a Scientist (2) Gathering Data: information gathered from observations.

Thinking Like a Scientist (3) Use data to make INFERENCES: logical interpretations based on prior knowledge or experience.

Explaining and Interpreting Evidence (4) Hypothesis: proposed scientific explanation for a set of observations.

Explaining and Interpreting Evidence (5) : EXPERIMENT or GATHER MORE DATA: some hypothesis are tested by performing experiments; others are tested by gathering more data.

Explaining and Interpreting Evidence (6) COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA: analyze, review and critique data collected.

Explaining and Interpreting Evidence (7) Form a CONCLUSION: based on logical interpretation of reliable data.

Science as a Way of KNOWING Science is an ongoing process. Science involves: –Asking Questions –Observing –Making inferences –Testing hypotheses.

A GOOD SCIENTIST… Is a SKEPTIC. Continually evaluates strengths and weaknesses of hypotheses. Is OPEN-MINDED. Considers new hypotheses.

Science and Human Values Today, scientists contribute information to discussions about health and disease, and about the relationship between human beings and the living and nonliving environment. It is important to be scientifically literate in order to make intelligent decisions about numerous issues. ( HEALTH, THE ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE )

Section Questions 1.What does science study? 2.What does it mean to describe a scientist as skeptical? Why is this a valuable quality? 3.What is the main difference between qualitative and quantitative observations? 4.What is a scientific hypothesis? In what 2 ways can one be tested? 5.Is a scientific hypothesis accepted if there is no way to demonstrate if that hypothesis is wrong? Explain. 6.Suppose a community proposes a law to require the wearing of seatbelts in all moving vehicles. How could scientific research have an impact on the decision?