SCIENCE IN CONTEXTWhat scientific attitudes help generate new ideas?

Why is peer review important?

What is a scientific theory?

What is the relationship between science and society?

Scientific Attitudes…

• Curiosity

• Skepticism

• Open-mindedness

• Creativity

Technology and Science• Closely related• Discoveries in one might lead to new discoveries in the

other• Researches use technology to monitor their experiments

Communicating Results• Peer reviewed

• A researcher shares ideas, test, and evaluate others work. This is the most reliable and respected type of source because it has so many editors. There are details which describe their methods and procedures so their experiments can be replicated.

Example

Scientific Theories… • Several related hypotheses supported by studies may

become a theory• A theory is a well tested explanation that unifies

observations and hypotheses and enables scientists to make accurate predictions about new situations based on evidence

• If a theory is tested and supported enough times it can become the dominant view among a majority of scientists, but NO theory is considered an absolute truth. Why do you think that is?

Science and Society• How should we produce power?• How should we operate vehicles?• How much of your genetics should be private?

• These questions all involve the society we live in, and the limitations we want to place upon science

Science and Society…Ethics and Morality

• Pure science does not include ethical or moral viewpoints, making it controversial amongst some people

• Why life exists?• What is the meaning of life?• How has life changed over time?• How will it change in the future?

Science and Society…Avoiding Bias• Bias-a viewpoint that is personal• Scientists have to avoid bias in order to accurately

interpret data• Everyone has bias in certain situations, so when reading

articles it is important to determine if the author has a bias

Science and Society…Understanding and Using Science• Science will keep changing as long as people keep asking

and trying to answer questions• What do you have questions about?

• Ex. Colors

Understanding Fossil ButteIn the southwest corner of Wyoming, there is a flat-topped mountaincalled Fossil Butte. A fossil of a fish was found near the top of FossilButte in a rock formation that is about 50 million years old. Fossils ofother kinds of fi she’s, as well as turtles, have been found at Fossil Butte.The land around Fossil Butte is dry, and the Pacific Ocean is morethan 1000 km away. How could fossils of sea-dwelling animals haveformed at Fossil Butte?1. Working with a partner, think of several questions that a scientistmight ask in order to understand why there are fish fossils in thedesert of Wyoming. Write these questions on a sheet of paper.2. Discuss your questions with your partner, and suggest a possibleanswer to each question. How do your possible answers show bothskepticism and open mindedness?3. How could a scientist go about finding an answer to each of thequestions?