PHYS-150 Nature of Science

Molecules, Cells, and Galaxies: the Nature of Science. This is an introductory survey of contemporary natural science (primarily biology, chemistry, geology, and physics though others may creep into our discussions) focussing on the methods that scientists use to learn about nature, the relationships between science and technological advances, the nature of scientific work and knowledge, and a summary of the basic results and conclusions of scientific investigations past and present. Students in this course will develop and enrich their understanding of the physical basis of the natural sciences and associated technology, as well as the methods that scientists use to study physical and natural phenomena. Students will develop an understanding of some basic scientific principles and an appreciation for the relevance of science to society and will also develop an understanding of the methods the natural sciences use to study the physical world, through observation, experimentation, evaluation of data, and development and testing of hypotheses. There is no formal laboratory component to this course, but we will be conducting simple observations and experiments periodically during class meetings to demonstrate concepts and/or initiate discussions. Although this is an introductory course that does not assume science and mathematics background or proficiency, it will also provide valuable context for students of science at any level.

Learning objectives. Our goals for this course (and the focus of assignments and exams!) are that students will learn to:

• describe the basic methods and defining concepts of natural science as a human activity;

• effectively distinguish between a hypothesis, a scientific theory, and an empirical law of nature;

• distinguish scientific learning from other forms of systematic learning like philosophy, logical arguments, technical descriptions, political and legal arguments, and statistical studies;

• distinguish science from bunk (pseudo-science);

• effectively summarize and communicate scientific and technical information using the basic principles of biology, chemistry, physics, and geology;

• apply critical and analytical thinking to understand and assess scientific studies; and

• be more informed, confident, and skeptical consumers of scientific and technical information from the mainstream media.

Co-taught in spring 2012: Michael "Bodhi" Rogers (Physics Dept.) and Luke Keller (Physics Dept.)