SCE 500

THE NATURE OF
SCIENCE
WEEK 3
 Recap…the discoveries….
Read about the story, share with your friends about the
discoveries made by the scientist.

1) Penicillin -Alexander Fleming

2) Gravity -Isaac Newton
3) Pasteurization -Louis Pasteur
4) Archimedes
5) Polio Vaccine-Jonas Salk
6) Albert Einstein

suggested topics, you may come up with your own

scientist.
Warm-up…

Einstein's unique way of thinking contributed to

his genius
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuEzkDv
HPv4
The quick story of Isaac Newton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vTbtna25j8
What characterizes
science?
 What characterizes
science?

• All branches of science have some

characteristics in common.

• The study of science requires openness

and review. Whatever information one
scientist collects, others must be able to
see and comment upon.

• All scientific ideas must be testable and

reproducible.
 What characterizes
science?

• Scientific evidence must be open for all to

observe. It must be measurable and not just
one person’s opinion or guess.

• Empirical evidence includes observations and

measurements. It includes the data people
gather and test to evaluate scientific
explanations.

• The scientist may use specialized tools to make

observations and take measurements.
What is a scientific
explanation?
“Give me an explanation …”
What is a scientific
explanation?
• A scientific explanation provides a
description of how a process in nature
occurs.

• Scientific explanations are based on

observations and data.

• Beliefs or opinions that are not based on

explanations that can be tested are not
scientific.
 What is a scientific
explanation?

• Scientists may start developing an

explanation by examining all of the empirical
evidence they have.

• Then they think logically about how all this

evidence fits together.

• The explanation they propose must fit all the

available evidence.
 What is a scientific
explanation?

• Often, other scientists evaluate the

explanation by testing it for themselves.

• The additional observations and tests may

provide data that further support the
explanation.

• If the results do not support the

explanation, the explanation is rejected
or modified and retested.
 How is a scientific
explanation evaluated?

1. look at your empirical evidence. Think of

all the evidence you could gather to
support the explanation.
2. consider if the explanation is logical, and
whether it contradicts any other evidence.
3. identify tests you can do to support your
ideas.
4. Finally, evaluate the explanation.
 Common Habits
What is involved in
scientific work?
• Science and the people who study it are
diverse. However, scientists have some
characteristics in common.

• Scientists are curious, creative, and careful

observers. They are also logical, skeptical,
and objective.

• When you use these habits of mind, you are

thinking like a scientist.
 What is involved in
scientific work?

• Scientists make careful observations.

They observe with their senses and with
scientific tools.

• Scientists are curious about the world

around them and the things they observe.

• Scientists are creative. They use their

imaginations to come up with new
explanations, experiments, and solutions.
 What is involved in
scientific work?

• Scientists are logical. They use evidence and

careful reasoning to develop explanations.

• Scientists are skeptical. They do not

immediately accept claims, but they ask
questions and evaluate the claims.

• Scientists are objective. They set aside their

personal feelings, moods, and beliefs when
evaluating something.
“Space Aliens Built the Pyramids”
How is pseudoscience similar to and
different from science?
• Pseudoscience is a belief or practice that is
based on incorrectly applied scientific methods.

• Pseudoscience can seem like real science, but

pseudoscientific ideas are based on faulty logic
and are supported by claims that can’t be tested.
How is pseudoscience similar to and
different from science?
• Both science and pseudoscience often involve
topics related to the natural world.

• Pseudoscientific claims can sound logical.

Pseudoscience uses technical language or
scientific-sounding terms.

• Both science and pseudoscience claim to be

supported by empirical evidence.
How is pseudoscience similar to and
different from science?
• Unlike science, pseudoscience does not use
accepted scientific methods.

• The evidence supporting pseudoscientific claims

may be vague or lack any measurements.

• Some pseudoscientific claims are not testable,

and others are supported only by personal
experiences.
How is pseudoscience similar to and
different from science?
• Pseudoscientists may claim that results not proven
false must be true. This is faulty logic.

• Scientists must offer evidence for their

conclusions. In contrast, pseudoscientists ask
skeptics to prove their claims false.
 Source…

• Science Fusion: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 Aspects of NOS

• Tentativeness
• Creativity
• Observation vs. Inference
• Subjectivity
• Functions and Relationships of Theory and
Law
• Socially and Culturally embedded
• Empirically based
 Discuss & Share

• Misconceptions of Science

Form 6 groups to discuss 6

topics above!!!