What is science and how does the scientific

process work?

What Is Science & Why Is It Important?

Scientific Method• Formulate a question• Develop a hypothesis• Experiment or gather

data• Analyze data• Draw conclusions• Share results• Writing• Peer review• Publishing• Repeat

Why do research?• Increase empirical

knowledge• Satisfy curiosities• Learn more about the natural

world• Develop new technologies• Have a better understanding

of the connectedness of the universe

• Cure diseases • Engineer products• Guide political decisions

What's the difference?

THE THEORY OF GRAVITY I HAVE A THEORY THAT...

Scientific TheoryThe culmination of many scientific investigations

Theory Idiom

◦ A word that is used figuratively in regards to the literal meaning

Could be confused for:◦ Idea◦ Belief◦ Assumption◦ Feeling

FORMULATE HYPOTHESIS→COLLECT DATA→VALIDATE HYPOTHESIS→REPEAT→

Inferences are drawn from observations. Example

◦ Observation: You are in a car, coming home from school, and you notice the car in front of you is swerving.

◦ Inference:

Observations and Inferences

Making Inferences from Data

People have been observing and recording data on sea levels around the world for hundreds of years.

The figure to the left shows the sea level for different U.S. coastal cities, dating back as far as possible.

What can you infer from these data?

Peer Review◦ When the research is complete, scientists write scholarly papers

that describe their purpose, methods, data, and results.◦ Papers are written with the intention that other scientists can

reproduce the experiment.◦ The paper is highly scrutinized by anonymous experts in the same

field.◦ The paper is either accepted or rejected.◦ If accepted, the paper is published, usually in a scientific journal,

for other scientists and scholars to read and use for reference. Purpose

◦ Prevent/remove bias in papers Misinterpreted or irrelevant results Personal views

◦ Improves writing and information in paper

Communication

Can you use logic and evidence to explain the phenomena of this usually straight pencil appearing bent in water?

Yes you can……

Pseudoscience

Evidence that the Earth is round:-Lunar Eclipse-Horizon-Gravity-Sailing around the world-Flying around the world-Pictures from outer space

Where does evidence come from?

Can make falsifiable predictions Uses scientific method Repeatedly confirmed Can be adapted

◦ As new evidence is discovered, a scientific theory can changed or added to.

Scientific Theory

Now define science in your own words……

Science