Science is

BottleRockt 2.0: HOW SCIENCE WORKS

What is Science?

Science is a systematic enterprise !that builds and organizes knowledge !in the form of testable explanations !and predictions about the universe !and the natural world.

In other words, science helps us understand how natural phenomena works, from “why does water freeze” to “why do stars explode”.

Science is constantly changing as our knowledge and understanding evolves. That’s what we mean, when we say “science is fluid”.

Science searches for answers to some of the

biggest questions

We are a questioning species. It is our fundamental questions about the universe that drives science. We may never have !all the answers, because we will always have questions.

The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he’s one who asks the right questions.

Claude Lévi-Strauss, 1964

What is a scientist?

Scientist: a person who is studying or has expert knowledge of one or more !of the natural or physical sciences.

This is not a scientist.

These are scientists.

Sir Isaac Newton 1642-1727

Marie Curie 1867-1934

Albert Einstein 1879-1955

So are these.

James Watson Structure of DNA

Jane Goodall Primatology, Ethology,

Anthropology

Stephen Hawkins Nature of Space and Time

Theories, hypotheses and laws

Scientists use the Scientific Method"to observe, research and discover "new knowledge and information.

Scientific Method: Refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.

Did you read�that?

Scientific Method: Refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.

When we discover something new, "we add to, revise or refine what we believe as factual, which expands our common understanding.

To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable data subject !to specific principles of reasoning.

Hypothesis: a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

• A hypothesis cannot be made into a law. • A hypothesis cannot be proven to be correct with "

a single experiment. Many must be performed. • Research and observations are submitted to scientific

journals for peer review to share with the scientific community, in order for others to test the hypothesis.

“The sun generates heat, based on observations out of "my window.”

Theory: collections of hypotheses in a logical order, that explain an aspect of reality, which have individually or jointly received empirical support.

“The sun generates warmth only in the daytime sky. It appears as a burning ball of fire through the telescope.”

• A theory can be (tested) proven or disproved " by others. • An accepted theory remains true until empirical" data disproves it. • Test results from one theory can be used to "

validate or disprove another.

Law: a statement that under certain conditions is always true. It states the observation, but does not explain it. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in "a closed system, energy can be exchanged with its surroundings.""Translation: The galaxy is a closed system. Solar radiation from the sun (heat) is exchanged with our atmosphere.

• Laws are simple, true, universal, and absolute. • Laws can be refined with new data, but not removed. • Laws must be confirmed and broadly agreed upon

through the process of inductive reasoning

I Have a Theory

Science is a reflection of what we know right now. Because it is fluid, it (information) is constantly changing and being refined.

People often think that when new knowledge comes along, it changes !all the preceding laws. It is better to think of it as adding to an existing law or clarifying it to a more realistic view, than actually changing it.

Some people believe that Einstein’s Law of Relativity made Newton’s theories redundant. Some would also say that Quantum Theory supplanted Relativity and String Theory supplanted Quantum Theory etc.

Nothing could be �further from the truth

Scientific knowledge is always refined !or adjusted, not replaced with an entirely new theory as our understanding evolves.

Theories are changed or adjusted in small increments, and new theories will usually consist of an old one with a small new portion added on.

The Art of Scientific Language

Scientists are extremely precise people."Their research, hypotheses and theories must always be carefully expressed and documented in a way that facilitates !clear thinking.

There are two methods they employ to achieve this.

Language and Mathematics.

Science journals are used to publish scientific results, data and observations publically in the science community. Think of them as the New York Times for the science world.

Communication of results contributes to the pool of knowledge within a discipline and provides information that helps others interpret their own experimental results. Most journals accept papers for publication after review by other scientists in the same field and who recommend the paper be published (usually with some revision).

Clarity of information is the key to writing papers for publication. This is why many science journals are very specific on how science papers are written.

Methodology

The scientific method is a body of techniques scientists use for acquiring empirical and measurable evidence. It is un-biased, objective and the results are based in reality.

“Repeatable results” is the mantra of every thorough scientist since their findings must always be tested and re-tested by their peers. This process of coming to the same conclusion is what validates or disproves the theories of a scientist.

Mathematics Can Be Beautiful

Mathematics, it is thought, can define almost anything. To many, it is seen as !a very elegant means of expression.

Perhaps the most well-known theory, Einstein’s Mass-Energy Equivalence !defines a complex, fundamental law of physics with the least amount of characters.

Euler’s Law of Identity has been called the “gem” of mathematics. It combines five of the most important constants in mathematics with the three fundamental operations (addition, multiplication and exponentiation).

The Pythagorean’s Theorem is a 2,500 year old mathematical formula created by ancient man. Not only is it still in use today, but is the basis behind Trigonometry.

To many, it may be inconceivable how numbers could be thought of as beautiful. But there is a certain amount of practical functionality in describing complex, abstract ideas coherently and concisely. That’s what’s considered elegant.

The Theory of Everything

Science uses two schools of formulaic equations to make predictions about natural phenomena in the universe. General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics

General Relativity works well at predicting how large bodies, such as planets and stars behave in the universe; but falls apart at predicting how small bodies behave at the particle level.

Quantum Mechanics can predict how particles beyond the quark level behave, but is incompatible with the general laws of gravity, nor does it account for the physics of dark energy.

The Theory of Everything is a generally accepted concept that there exists in theoretical physics, a theory that fully explains and links together all known physical phenomena, and predicts the outcome of any experiment that could be carried out in principle. This is one of the great mysteries in modern science.

The Big Bang

The Big Bang is the widely accepted concept within the scientific community !that answers the question, “where do we come from”. It began in 1929, when Edward Hubble showed that the galaxies were moving away from us. Georges Lemaître deduced that if the galaxies were moving away, they must have had a starting point.

Hundreds of experiments and calculations have been made that support the Big Bang Theory. The Origin of Heavy Elements from the fusion of lighter elements is one of them. Known as nucleosynthesis, it works only !if the universe began from a Big Bang.

Science now has so many datapoints (empirical evidence) that support the Big Bang Theory, it is a commonly accepted !theory among scientists.

This is how accumulated scientific knowledge works… using the results of testing hypotheses to confirm or disprove.

What Science has Given Us

Science enriches our lives. Through learning about how the natural world works, we learn about ourselves and discover what we are capable of. Take a closer look at your world. You’ve been using principles of science all your life. Science is everywhere.

Parents!Empower your children to ask questions about the world around them.

Teachers!Encourage your students to engage in science talk in "the classroom.

Learn More Embrace science in your everyday life. See the world as "it really is.

BottleRocket 2.0: HOW SCIENCE WORKS

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Journal: Nature, Science, Astrophysical Journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Accounts of Chemical Research.

Association: American Nature Association.

Magazine: Discover Magazine, Scientific American, Science Illustrated, American Scientist, New Scientist, Astronomy.

Web: sciencenews.org, popsci.com, wired.com, pbs.org.

Broadcast: StarTalk.net, TED, YouTube

The BottleRocket icon is a trademark of BottleRocket 2.0 and "a subsidiary of the AMNH, New York. Funding provided in part "by AMNH and NCME. Concept and Design: Will Longaphie

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