Issues in Biotechnology:
The Way We Work With Life
Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.us
The Mechanics of DNA
Lecture 2
Setting the Stage: What is Science?
© life_edu
Issues in Biotechnology:
The Way We Work With Life
Dr. Albert P. Kausch
Kimberly Nelson
OnCampus Live
BCH 190, MIC 190, AFS 190, NRS 190, PLS 190
OnLine BCH 190
A Sweeping General Survey on Life and Biotechnology
A Public Access College Course
The University of Rhode Island
Issues in Biotechnology:
Biotechnology, Our Society and Our Future
life
edu.us
Issues in Biotechnology:
The Way We Work With Life
Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.us
BCH 190
Section I.
The Mechanics of Life and
General Biotechnology
A Sweeping General Survey on Life and Biotechnology
© life_edu
The University
of Rhode Island
Issues in Biotechnology:
The Way We Work With Life
Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.us
The Mechanics of DNA
1. Introduction and Overview Biotechnology: Panacea or Pandora’s Box
2. Setting the Stage: What is Science?
A Sweeping General Survey on Life and Biotechnology
A Public Access College Course
© life_edu
The University
of Rhode Island
Issues in Biotechnology:
The Way We Work With Life
Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.us
The Mechanics of DNA
Lecture 2
Setting the Stage: What is Science?
© life_edu
Issues in Biotechnology
Professor
Dr. Albert P. Kausch, Ph.D.
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
University of Rhode Island
Office, Lab, and Mailing Address
Food Science and Nutrition Building
530 Liberty Lane, Rm 108
West Kingston, RI 02892
Office Telephone 401-874-7121
Email: kauschlaboratory@gmail.com
Office hours Weds. 12:00 - 3:00 pm
Issues in Biotechnology
Course Syllabus
Course Requirements
Course Syllabus and Description
Schedule of Lectures
Requirements and Deliverables
Office Hours
Go to SAKAI site
Issues in Biotechnology
Course Requirements
Texts
Jay Phelen What is Life? A guide to biology. Freeman Press. 2010
Icliker devices will be provided
Course Presentations: Attendance is absolutely mandatory. Your final grade will be
downgraded by half a letter grade for any unexcused absence or missed lecture (or any
part of one class). You will receive a zero for the missed weekly quiz without a makeup. If you must be absent, you MUST notify Dr. Albert Kausch and provide
documentation for your absence. Attendance will be determined using the iclicker
technology and participation in the weekly quizzes. There will be no make up tests or
exams without appropriate and express written permission. Missing class and quizzes
will drastically affect your grade.
Issues in Biotechnology
Course Requirements
Iclicker Registration
Icliker devices will be provided
Course Presentations: Attendance is absolutely mandatory. Your final grade will be
downgraded by half a letter grade for any unexcused absence or missed lecture (or any
part of one class). You will receive a zero for the missed weekly quiz without a makeup. If you must be absent, you MUST notify Dr. Albert Kausch and provide
documentation for your absence. Attendance will be determined using the iclicker
technology and participation in the weekly quizzes. There will be no make up tests or
exams without appropriate and express written permission. Missing class and quizzes
will drastically affect your grade.
Issues in Biotechnology
Course Requirements
Quizzes (weekly) will be taken in class (Live version on Campus) or OnLine (BCH
190 OnLine version) and promptly graded. The quizzes cover: the assigned
reading from the class text focusing on both concepts and vocabulary, and
concepts from the weekly live lecture(s). These quizzes consist of 20 multiple
choice questions and function as a test of general knowledge on the subject.
There are no make-up exams or quizzes without a medical excuse. Many quiz
questions are covered during class (pay attention). In addition, many of the
quiz questions are listed under the lifedu.org website in the Study Guide
Section. Failure to complete a quiz or an exam will result in a zero.
Issues in Biotechnology
Course Requirements
2 Exams are provided and intended to be taken at the mid-term and final and will
cover both class lecture material as well as the class text, up to that date (i.e.
comprehensive). The exams are derived from the Study Guide Questions fond
in each lecture.
Stock Project - students will be responsible for a project, due before the end of
term, detailing current market analysis of several publicly traded
biotechnology companies. The idea is to select five biotechnology companies
and invest $100,000 (fictitiously, of course). To do this look up the company
and determine their ticker symbols. Look at the cost per share that the
company is currently trading at and determine the number of shares that you
can purchase, you can spread your money evenly across five companies (i.e.
$20,000 each) or not. For example, if a company is trading at $20/share you
can purchase 1,000 shares for $20,000. You must choose your companies and
shares. Toward the end of the semester you should look up these same
companies and determine the cost per share at that time. Calculate your
losses or gains for each company and your total losses and gains. This project
will be summarized with a one page written report. This will be described in
class.
We ask that all electronic devices are
turned off prior to class, including cell
phones, lap top computers, ipads, ipods,
and other hand held devices. There is
also NO talking during lectures.
Respect your fellow students and your
Professor with this request. Thanks! We
hope you will appreciate this course.
Issues in Biotechnology
Course Requirements
Iclicker Registration
Icliker devices will be provided
Course Presentations: Attendance is absolutely mandatory. Your final grade will be
downgraded by half a letter grade for any unexcused absence or missed lecture (or any
part of one class). You will receive a zero for the missed weekly quiz without a makeup. If you must be absent, you MUST notify Dr. Albert Kausch and provide
documentation for your absence. Attendance will be determined using the iclicker
technology and participation in the weekly quizzes. There will be no make up tests or
exams without appropriate and express written permission. Missing class and quizzes
will drastically affect your grade.
Issues in Biotechnology
Are you a:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
New York Yankees fan
Boston Red Sox fan
New York Mets fan
some other team
I don’t care about baseball
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Issues in Biotechnology
Some course demographics
You are a:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
freshman
sophomore
junior
senior
teacher
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Issues in Biotechnology
Are you a:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
life sciences major
science major, but not life sciences
non-science major
general
undeclared
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Issues in Biotechnology
I know:
A. a lot about biotechnology
B. general information about the basis
of biotechnology
C. what I read in public press
D. very little actually,
only about some of
the arguments
E. nothing at all
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Issues in Biotechnology
Are you a:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Republican
Democrat
Independent
Socialist
other
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Issues in Biotechnology
I consider myself:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
religious
somewhat religious
secular
somewhat secular
irrelevant to this
course
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1
2
3
4
5
Issues in Biotechnology
You are:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
pro-choice
pro-life
undecided
I don’t care about politics
circumstantial
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
What is Life?
What is Life?
When did it start on earth?
Where did it come from?
Biologically, what is it? How does it happen?
How do we understand life from its
mechanisms?
What are the philosophical implications?
What is Life?
What are we doing here?
Who are you?
What is consciousness?
Is there really free will?
It it just a biological construct?
What is Life?
Is there intrinsic meaning or is it all merely
biological?
What is purpose?
Is there a purpose to the way things develop?
Is there meaning?
And, what about God?
Issues in Biotechnology
I can tell when someone is watching me from
behind:
A. yes
B. no
C. sometimes
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
Science is a system of hypothesis
making and testing
Is Evidence Based
Do Not Believe what you here only
• What Is Life? A Guide To Biology
• By J. Phelan
This week: Reading Assignment:
CHAPTER 1
Scientific Thinking
What is it? Think Critically
Biotechnology and Society
What should we believe?
Why do you believe what you believe?
Fact n. 1. Something known with certainty.
2. Something asserted as certain. 3. Something that
has been objectively verified by observation or
evidence. 4. Something having real demonstrable
existence.
Belief n. 1. The mental act, condition or habit of placing
trust or confidence in a person or thing; faith. 2.
mental acceptance or conviction in the truth or
actuality of something. 3. Something believed or
accepted as true-see synonyms at opinion.
Knowledge: n. 1. The state or fact of knowing. 2.
Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained
through experience or study. 3. That which is
known; the sum or range of what has been perceived,
discovered or inferred. 4. Learning. 5. Specific
information about something. 6. Carnal knowledge.
Theory, pronunciation: \ˈthē-ə-rē, ˈthir-ē\ , function: noun,
inflected Form(s): plural the·o·ries, etymology: Late Latin
theoria, from Greek theōria, from theōrein
Date: 1592
1 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
<Theory of Gravity; General Theory of Relativity; Theory of
Evolution>
2 : the general or abstract principles of a body of facts, from
science, or study of an art as in <music theory>
3 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or
body of principles offered to explain phenomena <the wave
theory of light>
4 a : a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the
basis of action <her method is based on the theory that all
children want to learn> b: an ideal or hypothetical set of
facts, principles, or circumstances - often used in the phrase in
theory<in theory, we have always advocated freedom for all>
5 a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or
investigation b : an unproved assumption : conjecture c : a
body of theorems presenting a concise systematic view of a
subject <theory of equations>
synonyms see hypothesis
What is Science? What is knowledge?
How do we know anything?
Science is a system for knowledge
acquisition conducted by hypothesis
making and testing and reproducible
observations… See the world!
Evidence based knowledge
Beliefs
Truth
Fact
Knowledge
Theory
The role of Creativity in
Science
Innovation
Do you believe in things
you can’t see?
Atoms
• Elemental units of
which everything is
made
• Atomic Diameters:
one to a few hundred
millionths of an inch
The Periodic Table of Elements
Is the Same Throughout the Universe
Is water required for life?
Is a carbon chemistry
required for life?
How Did Life
on Earth Begin?
How does
life work?
What is Science? What is knowledge?
How do we know anything?
Science is a system for knowledge
acquisition conducted by hypothesis
making and testing and reproducible
observations… See the world!
Evidence based knowledge
Beliefs
Truth
Fact
Knowledge
Theory
We need to look at the mechanics of life
Issues in Biotechnology:
The Way We Work With Life
Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.us
The Mechanics of DNA
Lecture 2
Setting the Stage: What is Science?
© life_edu
15. Observation of and wonder at the workings of
nature are what initiate “why” and “how” type
questions. Science is a system of:
(A) relying on one’s best intuition, inspiration and
perspiration to solve problems
(B) advertising as a devious enterprise conceived by
entrepreneurial western capitalists to make money from the
ideas of inventive and often eccentric minds
(C) making theories that fit certain beliefs about why and
how things happen
(D) hypothesis making about the mysteries of life
(E) hypothesis making and testing to discern and validate
observable facts generating evidence based knowledge
16. A chemical unit consisting of negatively charged
electrons orbiting a positively charged nucleus is:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
an atom
a eukaryotic cell
a molecule
a ribosome
a unit
17. Which of the following statements best describes
the logic of the scientific method?
(A) if I generate a testable hypothesis, tests and observations
will support it
(B) if my prediction is correct, it will lead to a testable
hypothesis
(C) if my observations are accurate, they will support my
hypothesis
(D) if my hypothesis is correct, I can expect certain test
results
(E) none of these answers are correct
18. Which of the following best distinguishes
hypotheses from theories in science?
(A) theories are hypotheses that have been proven
(B) hypotheses are tentative guesses; theories are correct
answers to questions about nature
(C) hypotheses usually are narrow in scope; theories have
much broader explanatory power
(D) hypotheses and theories mean essentially the same thing
(E) none of these answers are correct
19. The word Theory, is defined as:
1 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
2 : the general or abstract principles of a body of facts, from
science, or study of an art as in <music theory>
3 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or
body of principles offered to explain phenomena <the wave
theory of light>
Some people say that Evolution is “ ‘just’ a theory”. Used
in this way, modified by the word just indicates that these
people may be confusing with the word theory with what
other word(s):
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
notion
idea
story
whimsy
any or all of these words
20. Superstitions are:
(A) held by many humans, but not by any non-human species
(B) just one of many possible forms of scientific thinking
(C) true beliefs that have yet to be fully understood
(D) irrational beliefs that actions not logically related to a
course of events influence its outcome
(E) proof that the scientific method is not perfect
21. Empirical results:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
rely on intuition
are generated by theories
are based on observation
cannot be replicated
must support a tested hypothesis
22. In a well-designed experiment:
(A) the prediction will be highly probable if the experiment
shows the explanation is correct
(B) the prediction will be highly improbable if the experiment
(C) the null hypothesis will not be tested
(D) the prediction will most likely be correct
(E) both (A) and (B) are correct
23. Which of the following statements is correct?
(A) a hypothesis that does not generate a testable prediction is
not useful
(B) common sense is usually a good substitute for the
scientific method when trying to understand the world
(C) the scientific method can be used only to understand
scientific phenomena
(D) it is not necessary to make observations as part of the
scientific method
(E) all of the above are correct
24. The placebo effect:
(A) is the frequently observed, poorly understood
phenomenon that people tend to respond favorably to any
treatment
(B) reveals that sugar pills are generally as effective as actual
medications in fighting illness
(C) reveals that experimental treatments cannot be proven
effective
(D) demonstrates that most scientific studies cannot be
replicated
(E) is an urban legend
25. In controlled experiments:
(A) one variable is manipulated while others are held
constant
(B) all variables are dependent on each other
(C) all variables are held constant
(D) all variables are independent of each other
(E) all critical variables are manipulated
26. Statistical methods make it possible to:
(A) prove any hypothesis is true
(B) determine how likely it is that certain results have
occurred by chance
(C) unambiguously learn the truth
(D) reject any hypothesis
(E) test non-falsifiable hypotheses
27. Anecdotal evidence:
(A) is a more efficient method for understanding the world
than the scientific method
(B) tends to be more reliable than data based on observations
of large numbers of diverse individuals
(C) is a necessary part of the scientific method
(D) is often the only way to prove important causal links
between two phenomena
(E) can seem to reveal links between two phenomena,
but the links may not actually exist
28. A relationship between phenomena that has been
established based on large amounts of observational
and experimental data is referred to as:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
a theory
a fact
an assumption
a conjecture
a hypothesis
29. What is the meaning of the statement
“correlation does not imply causation”?
(A) just because two variables vary in a similar pattern does
not mean that changing one variable causes a change in the
other
(B) it is not possible to demonstrate a correlation between two
variables
(C) when a change in one variable causes a change in another
variable, the two variables are not necessarily related to each
other in any way
(D) it is not possible to prove the cause of any naturally
occurring phenomenon
(E) just because two variables vary in a similar pattern does
not mean that they have any relationship to each other
30. The Scientific Method is:
(A) a method that requires certain laws of nature to be taken
on faith
(B) both a method to gain a body of knowledge and an
intellectual activity encompassing observation, description,
experimentation, and explanation of natural phenomena
(C) a process that can be applied only within the scientific
disciplines, such as biology, chemistry, and physics
(D) the only way to understand the natural world and a
Higher Power
(E) none of the above