Science Worksheet
Name ______________________
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations
and predictions about the natural universe. Science also refers to the body of knowledge itself.1
Distinguishing between science and other fields is called “demarcation”.
Science Can Study the Past
Some fields of science investigate past events where there were no eyewitnesses, videotapes, or written
accounts. This fact alone does not invalidate the field. For example, criminal investigations can sometimes be
performed solely based on DNA, ballistics, etc. Evidence gathered today and in the future can test scientific
ideas about the past, even the very distant past.
All Science is Tentative and Incomplete
Every field of science has unanswered questions or things that have yet to be tested. This does not make the
field invalid or wildly speculative. It means that there is more work to be done by scientists.
Don’t Use Common Sense as a Standard
Some fields of science make claims that violate “common sense”. For example, quantum mechanics predicts
that an electron can travel through two apertures in a wall unless we check, in which case it will only travel
through one. Relativity theory predicts that time will elapse at different rates for different observers. Yet both
theories are still considered scientific because there are mountains of high-quality evidence in their favor.
Do Use Parsimony as a Standard
If different scientific principles provide the same predictions, then the one that becomes accepted is the
simplest (fewest parameters or ad-hoc assumptions). For example, at one time terrestrial and celestial gravity
had separate laws (Galileo’s free-fall acceleration and Kepler’s laws). Newton combined these ideas into a
single law of universal gravity with a single parameter.
Terminology in Science is Different
The term “law” in science generally refers to a mathematical relationship. It might not be exact and it might
have a limited domain of applicability. A law can be falsified (or reduced in domain of applicability) with new
evidence just like any other idea in science. The term “theory” in science generally refers to an explanation. It
cannot become a law by being tested more. It does not mean an educated guess. This would be referred to as
a “hypothesis”.
Evaluating Evidence
Quality of evidence is somewhat subjective, but certain kinds of evidence (studies published in peer-reviewed
journals in broad circulation such as Science, Nature, Physical Review Letters, New England Journal of
Medicine, etc.) are generally considered higher quality than others (obscure journals, tradition, celebrity
1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science last accessed October 2, 2012
testimonial, rumor, personal experience, authority, self-published work, etc.). The volume of evidence and the
time it has withstood scrutiny should also be considered.
Falsifiability
In order to be considered well-established science, an idea must be subject to falsifiability. This means that it
can be used to make predictions about future measurements, and that there are conceivable future
measurements that would disprove the idea.
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is an idea that is not science, but is presented as science by some proponents. The idea might
be outside the domain of science (supernatural phenomena) or poorly supported (or even contradicted) by
experimental evidence. The use of the term can be considered pejorative. Here are a few common
characteristics of pseudoscience:
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Lack of a plausible physical mechanism consistent with other scientific fields
A small signal to noise ratio, causing the distinction between random chance (or placebo effects) and
a true effect to be difficult to make
Reliance on testimonials rather than peer-reviewed journal articles
Reliance on philosophical arguments rather than measurements and calculations
Lack of significant progress (failure to strengthen or consistently replicate the effect) after years of
work
Lack of meaningful engagement with critics and splintering into a small, closed group of adherents
Appeal directly to the public through seminars or books
Below is a list of phenomena along with some brief descriptions. Categorize each as one of the following:
a) It is outside the domain of science (art, literature, supernatural phenomena, etc.) and few, if any,
claim that it is science.
b) It is outside the domain of science while some proponents claim that it is science, thus making it a
pseudoscience.
c) It once was within the domain of science, but it was proven false (or lacking parsimony, usefulness,
or any good evidence) and no longer used.
d) It once was within the domain of science, but it was proven false (or lacking parsimony, usefulness,
or any good evidence). Proponents still exist, thus making it a pseudoscience.
e) It is within the domain of science, but either does not yet have strong evidence or make testable
predictions.
f) It is within the domain of science, but evidence is seriously conflicting.
g) It is science consistently supported by high-quality evidence.
Description
Acupuncture
Anthropogenic
Global Warming
Astrobiology
Atomic Theory
Big Bang Theory
Bigfoot
Cold Fusion
Continental Drift
Theory
Creation
Dark Matter Theory
Don Quixote
Theory of Evolution
Herbal Medicine
Homeopathy
Ideal Gas Law
Law of Attraction
Mona Lisa
Newton’s 2nd Law
Oxygen Theory of
Acids
Phlogiston Theory
Reversion Therapy
Scientology
String Theory
Vaccine-Autism
Theory
A technique of inserting and manipulating needles into specific points
on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes beyond that of a
placebo
The Earth has measurably warmed in the last 100 years, with a
significant fraction of the warming due to human activity
The study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of
extraterrestrial life
Matter is composed of discrete units called atoms, as opposed to the
notion that matter could be divided into any arbitrarily small quantity
and retain its chemical properties
The universe has expanded from a hot and dense condition billions of
years ago, and continues to expand to this day
An ape-like creature inhabits forests of the Pacific Northwest
Electrolysis of heavy water produces fusion of hydrogen to helium
Continents move and used to be in very different locations millions of
years ago
Humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe were created by a deity or
deities
Matter that does not emit, absorb, or scatter light, but does have
gravitational effects and constitutes a large percentage of the matter in
the universe
A work of fiction written by Miguel de Cervantes
The change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms through
successive generations which can eventually lead to development of
new species
Medicine based on the use of plants and plant extracts resulting in
therapeutic effects different from that of a placebo
Medicine using highly diluted or nonexistent (yes, you read that
correctly) ingredients resulting in therapeutic effects beyond that of a
placebo
The pressure, volume, number of moles, and temperature of a gas are
related: PV = nRT
People's thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) will significantly
alter the outside physical world, independent of any communication or
physical action by the thought holder
A 16th century portrait painted in oil on a poplar panel by Leonardo da
Vinci
net force = mass*acceleration
All acids contain oxygen
A substance in combustible materials that is released during
combustion
Homosexuals can be safely and effectively turned into heterosexuals
A body of beliefs and practices invented by L. Ron Hubbard
Combines quantum mechanics and general relativity into a quantum
theory of gravity
Vaccinations cause autism in a significant number of cases
Category
(a-g)