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PSC 100 Introductory Lecture

PSC 100 Introductory Lecture. Science. The word science comes from the Latin word for knowledge It occurs in the word conscious. Assumptions of Science. There exists a single, unchanging set of laws which govern all events in the physical universe . The universe is ordered

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PSC 100 Introductory Lecture

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  1. PSC 100Introductory Lecture

  2. Science The word science comes from the Latin word for knowledge It occurs in the word conscious

  3. Assumptions of Science • There exists a single, unchanging set of laws which govern all events in the physical universe. • The universe is ordered • Experiments are fundamentally reproducible • Nature is not capricious • Human beings are able to understand the workings of the physical universe. • The laws which govern the universe are describable by mathematics.

  4. Basic Assumptions of Science Assumptions are accepted without proof Form the basis of all scientific thinking In other words, the basic assumptions of science are accepted on faith.

  5. Proper Science Consistent Parsimonious Retrogressive Progressive Testable Avoidance of supernal explanations Tentative Changeable Falsifiable

  6. Science Science formulates quantifiable questions Science uses units, numbers, direction along with mathematics to express knowledge Numbers are quantitative. Units are not a quality. Units are dimensions representing time, energy, weight, volume, length, brightness. Dimensions are independent variables

  7. Science Scientific knowledge is a relationship between observations Scientific knowledge is quantitative The observations are subject to refinement Scientific knowledge is progressive and tentative Scientific knowledge is neither true nor false, but rather consistent with the observations and consistent with prior knowledge

  8. Issues What is evidence? What is the relationship between evidence and hypothesis? How does one verify a hypothesis? Does inductive verification work? How does one know anything?

  9. Limitations of Science Science can't answer questions of morality. The problem of deciding good and bad, right and wrong, is outside the determination of science. This is why expert scientific witnesses can never help us solve the dispute over abortion: all a scientist can tell you is what is going on as a fetus develops; the question of whether it is right or wrong to terminate those events is determined by cultural and social rules--in other words, morality. The science can't help here.

  10. Limitations of Science Science can't answer questions of morality. The problem of deciding good and bad, right and wrong, is outside the determination of science. This is why expert scientific witnesses can never help us solve the dispute over abortion: all a scientist can tell you is what is going on as a fetus develops; the question of whether it is right or wrong to terminate those events is determined by cultural and social rules--in other words, morality. The science can't help here.

  11. A statement a scientist should not make (if he or she is well trained and is not manipulating you): Evolution is true. The Big Bang happened. Better statements: The theory of evolution is by far the best model we have to explain both the fossil evidence and the genetic evidence with regard to the origin of all species. The Big Bang model is in dramatic agreement will all known facts about the origin and history of the universe. Science seeks consistency, not “truth.” What is the simplest and most consistent explanation of the observation.

  12. Questions Science Can Answer When? What? Where? How many? By what means?

  13. Questions Science Cannot Answer:(That Religion Attempts to Answer) • Why am I here? • Is that the right thing to do? • How valuable am I? • Does God exist? Does God act (theism)? • Will that God respond if I pray? • Do supernatural events (miracles) happen?

  14. A Definition of Science The use of experiment to test theories about the laws of nature. or The use of experiment to discover and test cause and effect relationships in nature or....

  15. Basic Assumptions of Science Assumptions are accepted without proof Form the basis of all scientific thinking In other words, the basic assumptions of science are accepted on faith.

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