What is Science?Main Ideas in Today’s LecturePowerPoint PresentationSlide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Science and Public PolicySlide 10Slide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Finding PatternsSlide 16Some Patterns in NatureSlide 18Slide 19Slide 20Slide 21What is Creationism?Public Opinions on EvolutionIs Creationism Science?What is Intelligent Design?How do we determine if there is a scientific consensus on an issue?Slide 27Slide 28Is Evolution Correct?Slide 3001/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008What is Science?“Had we never seen the stars, and the sun, and the heaven, none of the words which we have spoken about the Universe would ever have been uttered. But now the sight of day and night, and the months and the revolutions of the years, have created number, and have given us a conceptions of time, and the power of enquiring about the nature of the Universe; and from this source we have derived philosophy, than which no greater good ever was or will be given by the gods to mortal man.”-Plato01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Main Ideas in Today’s Lecture•Why Study Science?•An attempt at a precise definition of Science.•What is not science01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008ParadoxConfusionTruth (Buddha)A Buddhist Temple in Chiang Mai: Paradox and Confusion must be conquered before approaching truth.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Sunday school in Bangkok. Notice the concentration evident on the faces of most of the students; finding truth is hard work.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Why Study Science?•Know your world•Appreciate your world•Understand your world•Control your world01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.HousingQuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.The Shanghai skyline-Modern in the extremeTraditional housing in the Yucatan, MexicoA Favela in Rio de Janeiro. The benefits of modern technology are sometimes not apparent.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.TransportationA Traditional Form of Transportation Modern travelers can reach anywhere on the globe in a matter of days or hours, with essentially no risk.Daily travel sometimes has a negative effect on one’s life.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.MedicineA Witch DoctorArtificial Heart Surgery at the UofADespite advances, we are, in some ways, a very unhealthy society.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Science and Public Policy•Climate Change•Evolution versus Creationism•Stem Cell Research•Etc.An optimistic observer of modern culture would claim that intelligent and well informed citizens will need to make decisions on these issues. A pessimistic observer of modern culture might think otherwise.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008QuickTime™ and a decompressorare needed to see this picture.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008QuickTime™ and a decompressorare needed to see this picture.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008A compilation of data on science literacy and education published recently by the federally-funded National Science Foundation (NSF) suggests that Americans are likely to have serious misconceptions about the scientific process, incorrect knowledge of scientific facts, and strong beliefs in pseudoscientific theories [2]. For instance, only 45% of Americans surveyed knew that electrons are smaller than atoms, and only 23% were able satisfactorily to explain what it means to engage in scientific study. About one fourth of those surveyed professed to believe in astrology, and about one third of Americans believe astrology to be “sort of scientific.”Quoted from “The Triple Helix”01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008QuickTime™ and a decompressorare needed to see this picture.From Framing the Engineering Outsourcing Debate, by Dr. Gary Gereffi and Vivek Wadhwa (Duke Pratt Engineering School)01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Observing and Experimenting•Science attempts to explain nature. •Nature is probed with observation & Experimentation.•Observations constitute the objective record of characteristics of nature. •Though experiments we establish a specific physical situation and observe the results.•In both cases abstraction is required because we focus only on a subset of specific characteristics and on small scale of the Universe.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Finding Patterns•Accurate observations and recording is not enough. Scientists seek to find a pattern that is repeatable and holds in many circumstances.Karl Popper, Philosopher of Science. The Logic of Scientific Discovery QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.Sir Karl Raimund Popper was born in Vienna on 28 July 1902. His rise from a modest background as an assistant cabinet maker and school teacher to one of the most influential theorists and leading philosophers was characteristically Austrian. Popper commanded international audiences and conversation with him was an intellectual adventure - even if a little rough -, animated by a myriad of philosophical problems. His intense desire to tear away at the veneer of falsity in pursuit of the truth lead him to contribute to a field of thought encompassing (among others) political theory, quantum mechanics, logic, scientific method and evolutionary theory.“Science may be described as the art of systematic over-simplification.”- Karl Popper01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Looking for Patterns•Science starts with the recognition of repeatable patterns in phenomenon. •The “art” of science lies in finding interesting patterns that tell us something about workings of overlapping (cluttered) phenomena in the Universe.•The best way to describe patterns is with equations because specific, quantifiable predictions are made.01/14/19 NATS 206-2, Spring 2008Some Patterns in NatureQuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.Sand Dunes
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