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The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method. …lots and lots and lots of math. ……….just kidding. Goal. What is science? What is the scientific method? Does the scientific method work?. What is science?. Science is a tool to understanding the Universe. You see something happen, you ask why?

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The Scientific Method

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  1. The Scientific Method …lots and lots and lots of math. ……….just kidding

  2. Goal • What is science? • What is the scientific method? • Does the scientific method work?

  3. What is science? • Science is a tool to understanding the Universe. • You see something happen, you ask why? • You make a model (or hypothesis) that explains what you see. • A scientific model must do two things: • Explain what is seen. • Predict what will happen accurately. • How do you know if your model is right?

  4. model test The Scientific Method • Observe an event. • Formulate a question • Develop a model (or hypothesis) which makes a prediction. • Test the prediction. • Observe the result. • Analyze the data • Revise the hypothesis. • Repeat as needed. • A successful hypothesis becomes a ScientificTheory.

  5. Medical Science

  6. Everyday Science

  7. Everyday Science

  8. Food Science • Throwing something together  Hypothesis • Your grandmother’s time-tested recipe  Scientific Theory.

  9. Recap: Theories, Guesses, Laws • What does the word “Theory” mean to you? “A conjecture; guess” (Webster’s Dictionary) • Does it mean the same to a scientist? “A model which has been born out by repeated tests and observation. An Explanation”

  10. Theories • So: a theory is a highly successful hypothesis. • All hypotheses make predictions. • All theories make predictions. • All theories can be tested. • Result: Any scientific theory is subject to change as our ability to make tests, or make observations of a test’s results, improves with time.

  11. Non-scientific Theories • Make no predictions • Un-testable • Can’t be falsified • The chain of events needed for life to arise is too complicated to have happened by chance, a divine intelligence must therefore have caused life to arise (Intelligent Design).

  12. Non-scientific Theories • Car won’t work?  Aliens drained the battery. • Spaghetti is bland?  You were meant to eat bland food. • Car won’t work?  Gods must be angry. • Spaghetti is bland?  At the instant of tasting, tongue is transported to alternate dimension where all flavors are rendered nullified. Happens instantaneously.

  13. Scientific Laws • A general statement about the relationship of natural quantities which has been time tested and has not been contradicted. • Examples: laws of conservation of matter and energy. Newton’s laws of motion • Usually has a mathematical support associated with it.

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