OCEAN 320 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1a: Biological Warfare
Unit 1: The Human Ocean
1A. Science and Systems
Reading: The Nature of Science
three principal subjects: the scientific world view, scientific methods of
inquiry, and the nature of the scientific enterprise
things and events in the universe occur in consistent patterns that are
comprehensible through careful, systematic study
universe is a vast single system in which the basic rules are everywhere
the same
Knowledge gained from studying one part of the universe
is applicable to other parts
Most scientific knowledge is durable despite not being able to decide
absolute truth; modify theories rather than outright reject them
Scientific inquiry: not all exactly the same
o What is the same? Reliance on evidence, use of hypothesis &
theory, logic
o What is not the same? Methods; qualitative or quantative,
historical or experimental findings, etc
Demand for evidence
o Must obtain observations/data in both natural and contrived
settings
o Must use senses, tools that enhance senses, and tools that sense
things humans cannot
o Observe passively, collect, and probe earth to find answers
o Sometimes deliberately control conditions, but not always valid
information, so it’s best to collect evidence based on entirely
natural circumstances
Must conform to logic/reasoning
o testing the validity of arguments by applying certain criteria of
inference, demonstration, and common sense
o tentative hypotheses: used for choosing what data to pay attention
to, what additional data to seek, guiding the interpretation of data
o hypothesis must suggest what evidence would support or refute it;
if there is no way to find evidence it is not scientifically useful
Scientists strive to make sense of observations of phenomena by
constructing explanations for them that use, or are consistent with,
currently accepted scientific principles
o Try to connect different theories to find validity; one phenomena
avidates another
Document Summary
Universe is a vast single system in which the basic rules are everywhere the same. Knowledge gained from studying one part of the universe is applicable to other parts. Most scientific knowledge is durable despite not being able to decide absolute truth; modify theories rather than outright reject them. Methods; qualitative or quantative, theory, logic historical or experimental findings, etc. Bias: scientists must decide how info is biased; bias in what evidence is used, what evidence is withheld, how evidence is gathered, etc, safeguard against bias: have many people work on it/look at it. Knowledge does turn into opinion; no one person has more access to truth than another, therefore we process knowledge and fact and create our own opinions based on it. Science as a social activity: science inevitably reflects social values and viewpoints, social factors decide how to test, what gets to be tested, what gets. Ethical norms of science play a role in research.
