2021-08-09

NATURE OF SCIENCE
 Science:

 A dynamic process of observation, testing, and discovery

 The accumulated body of knowledge that results from this
LECTURE 1 process
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
 Science is essential
FALL 2021  To sort fact from fiction
HUMAN BIOLOGY  Develop solutions to the problems we face

1 2

DEDUCTIVE & INDUCTIVE SCIENTIFIC

REASONING METHOD
 A technique for testing
 Two opposite ways of arriving at logical conclusions ideas with observations

 ________________________________  Assumptions
:
◼Applies general principles to predict specific results  The universe works according
◼E.g. If organisms are composed of cells & humans are to unchanging natural laws
organisms than humans are composed of cells  Events arise from causes, and
cause other events
________________________________
  We use our senses and
◼Inductive reasoning uses specific observations to construct
reason to understand
general scientific principles
nature’s laws
◼E.g. If poodles have hair and terriers have hair, than you may
conclude that all dogs have hair
 Science uses both but induction is the more common way

4 5

SCIENTIFIC METHOD SCIENTIFIC METHOD

1. Observations & Questions 2. Hypotheses & predictions

 First scientists make observations that  As questions are asked, scientists

raise a particular question attempt to answer the questions by
proposing possible explanations

 The questions are based on  Hypothesis

 Observations  Proposed explanation that makes
testable predictions
 Previous research
 Both  A hypothesis is usable only if it can be
proved false
 We prove a hypothesis false by
 Not all questions can be answered presenting evidence from an
scientifically investigation that does not support the
hypothesis
 We cannot prove a hypothesis TRUE
 Asking the right questions is very  New evidence at a later date might
important in science falsify this hypothesis

6 7

1
 2021-08-09

SCIENTIFIC METHOD SCIENTIFIC METHOD

2. Hypotheses & predictions 2. Hypotheses & predictions
 If the hypothesis is valid, the scientist can predict the result of
 Scientific knowledge is an accumulation of evidence the experiment.
in support of hypotheses
 A scientific hypothesis needs to be not only valid but also useful
 Hypotheses are accepted on a trail basis  It needs to tell us something we want to know

 A hypothesis is most useful when it makes predictions

 Much of the information in science textbooks are
based on many experiments performed over many
years
 A Prediction is a statement of the expected results of the
experiment based on the hypothesis
 Often if/then statement
 If the hypothesis is true, then the results will be …

8 9

SCIENTIFIC METHOD SCIENTIFIC METHOD

3. Tests (Experiments
) 4. Results

Once a problem has been defined The testresultseither support or

and one or more hypotheses have reject the hypothesis
been proposed the hypotheses have
to be tested experimentally  Statistical tests are used to
An experimentis an activity understand the significance of the
data and the probabilitythat a
designed to test the validity of a
conclusion is true or untrue.
hypothesis
 Oftenit involves manipulating
variables, or conditions that can  If repeated tests do not find a
change hypothesis to be untrue, then the
◼Independent variable is the variable conclusion is that the idea is
that the scientist manipulates supported. However,alternative
◼dependent variable is the one that hypotheses also need to be
depends upon the first variable. tested and ruled out.

10 11

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IS PART

OF A LARGER PROCESS

• The scientific process includes peer

review, publication, and debate

• A consistently supported hypothesis

becomes a theory, a well-tested and widely
accepted explanation

12