EARTH 7 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Georges Cuvier, Megalosaurus, Geochronology
- CLADISTICS, evolutionary morphology, geochronology
- NEED to know most/all cladograms
- Megalosaurus: first described dinosaur
- Every bird is a dinosaur
Science:
- A way of knowing → other ways to know
- Knowing by means of authority
- Set of logical and empirical methods that provide systematic natural explanations of
natural phenomena
- Has demonstrated time and time again that it provides one of the best ways to
understand the world
- Doesn’t apply to all questions and has more authority in some realms and less in others
The Scientific Method:
- Foundation: Testing ideas
- Self-correcting compared to other systems of knowledge. New evidence and
observations demand new interpretations
- Egalitarian (=/= democratic)
- Collaborative
Scientific Method 4 Steps:
1. Observe (where the evidence comes in)
2. Hypothesize (a reasonable explanation for the observation)
3. Predict (what are the other implications of the hypothesis
Falsifiability:
- Hypotheses and the predictions they make must be capable of being proven wrong
- If this is not the case than it is not a scientific statement
Misconception:
- While hypotheses can be very strongly supported they can never be 100% proven
- However they can be 100% disproven
Scientific Theory:
- An explanation that has been tested again and again and again and has yet to be
disproven
- Plus in the process of testing lots of evidence has been found to support the
hypothesis
- The best theories incorporate LOTS of well supported hypotheses
Theories = as close to truth as you can get in science
Science = a process that provides a ton of evidence that makes certain conclusions much more
reasonable than others
Science is provisional (subject to change)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
A way of knowing other ways to know. Set of logical and empirical methods that provide systematic natural explanations of natural phenomena. Has demonstrated time and time again that it provides one of the best ways to understand the world. Doesn"t apply to all questions and has more authority in some realms and less in others. Self-correcting compared to other systems of knowledge. Scientific method 4 steps: observe (where the evidence comes in, hypothesize (a reasonable explanation for the observation, predict (what are the other implications of the hypothesis. Hypotheses and the predictions they make must be capable of being proven wrong. If this is not the case than it is not a scientific statement. While hypotheses can be very strongly supported they can never be 100% proven. An explanation that has been tested again and again and again and has yet to be disproven.
