1. Science is a way of thinking more than it is a body of knowledge-
Natural Sciences
Science is a way of thinking more than it is a body of knowledge-
Carl Sagan

2. Since 1600’s , or the Scientific revolution…
Discovery of laws of physics
92 elements of the periodic table
DNA structure and the human genome
Splitting of atoms, cloning of sheep, travel out of our world
Personal efficiency revolution - trains, cars, computers, phones, etc…

3. Now seen as the dominant paradigm
Problem - not the only certainty
“Science may be seen as the art of oversimplification” - K Popper
“Science is a way of describing reality; it is therefore limited by the limits of observation, and it asserts nothing which is outside observation” - J Bronowski

4. So, the truths have changed over time…
What connotations does the word ‘science’ have for you?
What type of backlashes exist?

5. What is the nature and status of scientific knowledge?
Biology, Chemistry, Physics Vs
*Astrology, crystology, graphology, etc
Define in groups- what is the difference? If it works, why..?

6. Scientific hypotheses are testable
Pseudo science- notable for vagueness and ad hoc exceptions…impossible to verify or test
Genuinely scientific statement must be clearly stated and precise
Not depend on making ad hoc exceptions for counter examples

7. Which is scientifically testable?
In 2016 you may or may not win the lottery
Everyone is selfish
Acid turns litmus paper red

8. The method- it is not a body of knowledge, but a way of thinking about the world

9. Inductivism Observation Hypothesis Experiment Law Theory
What else is needed?
Controllability, measurability, reliability

10. Think ‘Copernican Revolution’
Ptolemy’s ‘disorderly monster’
simple and elegant idea - C
Galileo - telescope- Venus does change in size!!!
Kepler’s laws of planetary motion
Newton - law of gravity: force directly proportional to mass of bodies, inversely proportional to the square of distance between two bodies

11. The problems…of observation
Relevance: Why do students get colds?
What to observe?
Movies watched, diet, color of underwear, heating

12. Problems, cont. Expectations:
Vulcan reported, and then observed by multiple astronomers for 50+ years..
Expert seeing: microscopes, telescopes, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear resonance imaging…

13. Problems, cont.
Observer effect: measure the temperature of a cup of tea- does the thermometer change the temperature?
Other problems…in classes?

14. Problems with testing hypotheses
Confirmation bias - looking at some evidence positively
Ej- Virgos are shy
Experimental error, ignoring anamolies, dismissing contradictory evidence

15. Problems with Induction
Practically- how many observations to make an acceptable generalization?
No magic/true/set role here…
Based on our limited experience with the universe, can our claims to laws of physics be true?

16. Theoretically…
Science is supposed to be empirical- observation is what distinguishes it from pseudo science.
But if scientists refused to make any claims that go beyond actual observations, they’d have to abandon any talk of discovering laws of nature.

17. Critique- Karl Popper
What is the difference between psychoanalysis and physics?
“A theory which explains everything explains nothing”
Falsification - scientists should try to falsify a hypothesis rather than verify it.

18. Hmm…
Although scientific beliefs change over time, is it possible each new theory is closer to truth than previous ones?

19. In your journals, for
Write a paragraph describing each of the ‘problems’ in your own words:
Observations:
Expectations
Expert seeing
The Observation effect
Hypothesis:
Confirmation bias,
Under observations
The problems of induction overall