ANT 301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Scientific Theory, Macroevolution, Scientific Method
Document Summary
Evolution: the single most important concept in modern biology. A: it is based on empirical proof and it can be replicated/repeated. Scientific is just a set of methods for knowing stuff about the natural world. Scientific knowledge is: empirical: based on observations of the world around us (often quantitative, testable: potentially falsifiable, often through experimentation; repeatable. Different types of human knowledge: empirical (science, engineering) vs non-empirical (ethics, morality, Some confusion caused by use of term "theory" as applied to evolution. Most people don"t use the terms this way . Scientific theory: well-established explanation of some part of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses. Key points: a scientific theory includes multiple parts, no amount of validation changes a multi-part theory into a law. Incorporates multiple facts: predictions of the unifying theory have been repeated confirmed, universally accepted within the scientific community.
