September 24, 2012
DO NOW: Copy the current learning target below onto the
back of your Table of Contents page. (Leave some room,
will be adding others later.)
I will be able to confirm if an idea or investigation falls
within the realm of science by applying the following
concepts:
 science tries to describe the natural and physical
universe
 science is a process - nature is always changing
 science does not make value judgments
 science has no bias
Science is…

In its most fundamental
sense, modern science
is a process by which
we try
to understand how the
natural world
works and how it came
to be that way.
Natural & Physical Universe
Science tries to describe the natural and
physical universe.
Examples:
How do plants capture and store
energy?
 Why do objects fall?
 How can we cure the common cold?

Natural & Physical Universe, cont.

Science does not try to explain things
that are outside the observable world.
Non-examples:
Is psychic power real?
What happens to the human soul after
death?
Can my astrological sign predict my
future?
Science is a Process
– Nature is Always Changing

We are always making new observations
about the world, so our scientific theories are
always changing in response to those
observations.
[remember the tangram]
Examples:
 Plate Tectonics
 Atomic structure
Science Does Not Make Value Judgments

Science does not decide what is good or bad, or
right or wrong. It only reports the facts.
Examples:
The Toyota Prius got the highest highway mileage
of the cars tested.
 Splitting the atom (nuclear fission)

Non-Examples:
The Toyota Prius is the best car.
 It’s wrong to use ultraviolet radiation to sterilize
food.

Science has No Bias

Science reports all evidence collected in a
topic/investigation.
Example:



The DHMO article we read was highly biased – it only reported
water’s negatives
How could we make it unbiased?
Scientific investigations try to prevent accidental bias.
Example:


In medical studies, neither the patients nor the doctors know who
is receiving a placebo versus the tested drug.
How does this prevent bias?
Your turn

Within the realm
of science?