Biology : Ch.1 Scientific Thinking
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what is science?
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an intellectual activity , encompassing observation, description,experimentation, and explanation of natural phenomena.
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biology
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the study of living things
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science is...
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a pathway by which we can discover and better understand the world around us .
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what is biological literacy
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the ability to (1) use the process of scientific inquiry to think creatively about real world issues that have biological component (2) communicate these thoughts to others (3) integrate these ideas into your decision making
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biological literacy is essential in the modern world because...
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it helps us make wise decisions
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an effective approach to understanding the world is..
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the scientific method
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scientific method
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is the process of examination and discovery
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scientific method differs from other approaches in that...
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it is based off empirical knowledge, which is based on experience and observations that are rational,testable,and repeatable
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how do you use the scientific method ?
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to explore a wide variety of thoughts, events, or phenomena
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basic steps in the scientific method are...
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(1) make observations (2) formulate hypothesis (3) devise a testable prediction (4) conduct a critical experiment (5) draw conclusions and make revisions
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step 1: make observations
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the scientific method always begins with making observations: we simply look for interesting patterns or cause-and-effect relationships
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step 2: formulate hypothesis
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a proposed explanation for observed phenomena
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hypothesis must accomplish 2 things:
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(1) must clearly establish mutually exclusive alternate explanations for a phenomena (2) must generate testable predictions
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step 3: devise testable prediction
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for a hypothesis to be useful, it must generate a testable prediction
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step 4: conduct a critical experiment
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a critical experiment is one that makes it possible to decisively determine whether a particular hypothesis is correct
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step 5: draw conclusions, make revisions
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based on the results of the experimental test, we can revise a hypothesis and explain the observable world with increasing accuracy.
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scientific theories
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they are hypothesis that have been so strongly and persuasively supported by empiracal observation that the community views them as very unlikely to be altered by new evidence
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to draw conclusions from experiments, it is essential to...
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hold constant all variables we are not interested in. control and experimental groups should differ only with respect to the treatment of interest. differences in outcomes between groups can be attributed to the treatment .
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repeatable experiements...
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increase our confidence
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biases
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can influence our behavior ,including collection and interpretation of data. with careful controls , it is possible to minimize such biases.
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visual displays of data can...
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help us understand and explain phenomena
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common visual displays of data used in biology
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bar graph, line graph, pie chart
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independent variable
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value can be changed as required
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dependent variable
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value cannot be controlled
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statistics
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can help us evaluate whether any differences between a treatment group and a control group can be attributed to the treatment rather than random chance
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pseudoscience
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individuals make scientific sounding claims that are NOT supported by trustworthy , methodical scientific studies
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anecdotal observations
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evidence based on just one or a few observations , people conclude that there is or is not a link between two things
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although the diversity of life on earth is tremendous...
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the study of life is unified by themes of hierarchical organization and the power of evolution
