Science is a quest to understand nature. As in all quests, science includes elements of challenge, surprise, and adventure.
Indeed, some scientists go to great extremes to explore nature. Biologist Nalini Nadkarni from Evergreen State College in Washington, often climbs more than 50 meters above the ground to study small plants that grow on the upper limbs of giant trees, using ropes. Science also has a tamer side. Careful planning, reasoning, persistence, patience, setbacks, and tiny steps of progress also mark the work of scientists who seek answers to questions about nature.
Biology is defined as the scientific study of life. But what does scientific mean? What is science? The word is derived from a Latin verb meaning "to know." In other words, science is a way of knowing. It is a way to answer questions about the natural world.
INQUIRY-BASED Science
At the heart of science is inquiry—people asking questions about what they observe in nature and actively seeking answers. Your own curiosity is the starting point for exploring life through inquiry. But inquiry means more than asking questions. Inquiry is a process of investigation, with thoughtful questions leading to a search for answers.
DISCOVERY Science
Discovery science describes natural structures or processes as accurately as possible through careful observation and data collection. Observant people sometimes discover something important about nature entirely by accident. One famous example is Alexander Fleming's 1928 discovery that certain fungi produce chemicals that kill bacteria. Fleming, a Scottish physician, was culturing (growing) bacteria for research in his laboratory. He found that a mold (a type of fungus) had contaminated some of his cultures of bacteria. As he was discarding the "spoiled" cultures, Fleming noticed that no bacteria were growing near the mold. The fungus turned out to be Penicillium, a common mold. It produces an antibacterial substance that was later named penicillin. Fleming's accidental discovery revolutionized medicine.
Figure 2-10
EXPERIMENTAL Science
You may have heard of "the scientific method." The steps of this idealized method are diagrammed to the right. At one time or another in their research, scientists may use all or most of these steps, however, often, the sequence of steps does not exactly match the generalized scheme. Despite all the variation in scientific inquiry, one key element is common to all hypothesis-based science... the HYPOTHESIS.A hypothesis is a suggested answer to a well-defined scientific question—an explanation on trial. Most hypotheses are concerned with the causes of natural phenomena, such as the growth of a plant toward light. A hypothesis is often based on past experience or knowledge gained from discovery science or other sources. People use hypotheses almost instinctively, as a natural way to solve everyday problems. For example, suppose your flashlight stops working during a camping trip. That's an observation. The question is obvious: Why doesn't the flashlight work? A reasonable hypothesis based on past experience is that the batteries in the flashlight are dead. Scientists don't just propose hypotheses. They test these ideas by making additional observations or by designing experiments. A hypothesis allows you to make certain predictions. It is these predictions that scientists then test.
For a humorous account on the validity of scientific claims and "The Scientific Method"...
- Your Name and Class Period - One question you have about something you have observed in nature - A proposed answer to this question - A description of how you might go about answering that question... this would be the "outline" to an experiment you might do.
WHAT IS SCIENCE?
Science is a quest to understand nature. As in all quests, science includes elements of challenge, surprise, and adventure.
Indeed, some scientists go to great extremes to explore nature. Biologist Nalini Nadkarni from Evergreen State College in Washington, often climbs more than 50 meters above the ground to study small plants that grow on the upper limbs of giant trees, using ropes. Science also has a tamer side. Careful planning, reasoning, persistence, patience, setbacks, and tiny steps of progress also mark the work of scientists who seek answers to questions about nature.
Biology is defined as the scientific study of life. But what does scientific mean? What is science? The word is derived from a Latin verb meaning "to know." In other words, science is a way of knowing. It is a way to answer questions about the natural world.
INQUIRY-BASED Science
At the heart of science is inquiry—people asking questions about what they observe in nature and actively seeking answers. Your own curiosity is the starting point for exploring life through inquiry. But inquiry means more than asking questions. Inquiry is a process of investigation, with thoughtful questions leading to a search for answers.
DISCOVERY Science
Discovery science describes natural structures or processes as accurately as possible through careful observation and data collection. Observant people sometimes discover something important about nature entirely by accident. One famous example is Alexander Fleming's 1928 discovery that certain fungi produce chemicals that kill bacteria. Fleming, a Scottish physician, was culturing (growing) bacteria for research in his laboratory. He found that a mold (a type of fungus) had contaminated some of his cultures of bacteria. As he was discarding the "spoiled" cultures, Fleming noticed that no bacteria were growing near the mold. The fungus turned out to be Penicillium, a common mold. It produces an antibacterial substance that was later named penicillin. Fleming's accidental discovery revolutionized medicine.
EXPERIMENTAL Science
You may have heard of "the scientific method." The steps of this idealized method are diagrammed to the right. At one time or another in their research, scientists may use all or most of these steps, however, often, the sequence of steps does not exactly match the generalized scheme. Despite all the variation in scientific inquiry, one key element is common to all hypothesis-based science... the HYPOTHESIS. A hypothesis is a suggested answer to a well-defined scientific question—an explanation on trial. Most hypotheses are concerned with the causes of natural phenomena, such as the growth of a plant toward light. A hypothesis is often based on past experience or knowledge gained from discovery science or other sources. People use hypotheses almost instinctively, as a natural way to solve everyday problems. For example, suppose your flashlight stops working during a camping trip. That's an observation. The question is obvious: Why doesn't the flashlight work? A reasonable hypothesis based on past experience is that the batteries in the flashlight are dead. Scientists don't just propose hypotheses. They test these ideas by making additional observations or by designing experiments. A hypothesis allows you to make certain predictions. It is these predictions that scientists then test.
For a humorous account on the validity of scientific claims and "The Scientific Method"...
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?? Create a post in the discussion forum of this page that includes the following:
- Your Name and Class Period
- One question you have about something you have observed in nature
- A proposed answer to this question
- A description of how you might go about answering that question... this would be the "outline" to an experiment you might do.