HERNANDEZ, M.

Reflecting on the Nature of Science Science for All Americans (Chapter 1)

Your name:
Aspect of Science
The World Is Understandable

What this means (In your own words)

That most things in science have a certain pattern that
they follow.

Examples of this from your experience

Water cycle, hurricane formations, the stages of
life.

Scientific Ideas Are Subject To

Change; yet Scientific
Knowledge Is Durable

With the passage of time and new information coming

Information and studies from the 80s and 90s
out in the scientific/medical world, previous information
about topics such as HIV/AIDS, all the myths
becomes outdated or inaccurate while the new
surrounding it and how with time weve moved to
information takes credibility.
more accurate info.

Science Cannot Provide

Complete Answers to All
Questions

Not everything can be explained or given an answer

We know that cancer is caused by the mutation of
because either science has not reached that far to answer a specific gene(s), yet science has not been able to
the question, or there is just no valid answer.
solidly determine which gene(s) are the causes of
mutations on individuals who live and maintain a
healthy lifestyle.

Science Demands Evidence

Basically, if do not show proof of evidence for whatever

claim you are making, then it is not valid.
No evidence = not true.

Every commercial promoting E-Cigs claim that

theyre safe, yet theres no concrete evidence by
the FDA or doctors showing trials spanning x
amount of time to show us that there are no health
hazards.

Science Is a Blend of Logic

and Imagination

Thinking outside the box but still using scientific facts

for what youre about to do.

Food companies coming up with new flavors that

are popular for most customers (Lays, Oreos).

When you know for a fact that something is about to

happen, but you cant state when or how good/bad it can
go.

Hurricane season! 2004 Hurricane Charlie; all

meteorologists kept saying that it wouldnt touch
down on land or cause havoc Mother Nature
proved them wrong. Took a sharp turn around
Punta Gorda and left my town like something out
of a war zone. Posts knocked down and blocking
the roads, cable lines scattered, houses gone from
tornadoes, roofs gone and houses flooded.

Science Explains and Predicts

HERNANDEZ, M.

Aspect of Science

What this means (In your own words)

Examples of this from your experience

Scientists Try to Identify and

Avoid Bias

If youre going to do a study, make sure to include all

ethnicities that make up the majority of the population.
Have multiple investigators with no prejudice, as well.

Studies on the current drug usage in the country. I

feel like both Blacks and Hispanics are the
primary targets in the studies, when in reality
anyone of any race/ethnicity (however you prefer
to put it) probably uses some type of illegal drug
yet they dont show those results.

Science Is Not Authoritarian

Nothing is set in stone; you do not have to believe in

something that you dont stand for.

Science vs The Bible

Im Catholic and I choose to believe on how the
world was created from what is written in the
Good Book, as opposed to the Big Bang Theory. I
dont judge anyone who thinks differently,
theyre entitled to their own beliefs.

Science Is a Complex Social

Activity

What one scientist is doing in a certain part of the world

may coincide in part to what another scientist is doing
somewhere else.

Pediatricians shuffling back and forth between

practices across the county at my old consult.

There Are Generally Accepted

Ethical Principles in the
Conduct of Science

Even though there are many different branches of

science, they usually follow a certain protocol for when
conducting research and presenting their data.

Every scientist has a purpose for their research,

all conduct experiments with trials, all collect
data and present it accordingly to their finding.