STS 1010 Foltz Test 1

Occam's Razor

A rule that favors explanations requiring the fewest assumptions

Hypothetico-Deductive Model

A structured method involving assumptions, conditions, expected outcomes, and evaluation

Auxiliary hypotheses

Background assumptions about tools or setup that influence whether a test challenges an idea

Naïve falsificationism

The mistake of rejecting an idea immediately when a prediction fails without checking other assumptions

Baconian view

A perspective claiming observations are neutral and theories arise directly from organized data

Positivism

A position stating that only statements proven through experience or logic are meaningful

Underdetermination

A situation where multiple ideas fit the same evidence, preventing a single conclusion

Empirical focus

The belief that only observable or measurable claims count as scientific

Falsificationism

The view that ideas can only be eliminated through failed tests, never proven

Conjectures and refutations

A cycle of proposing bold ideas and removing those that fail

Paradigm

A shared framework that shapes what questions matter and how problems are solved

Normal science

Routine work done within an accepted framework, focused on solving structured problems

Anomaly

A mismatch between expected results and actual observations that the current framework cannot explain

Gould's three traits of scientific proposals

The requirements that make an idea productive, testable, and able to connect across fields

Scientific crisis

A period where repeated failures of the accepted framework lead to competing alternatives

Scientific revolution

A shift where one framework replaces another, often influenced by factors beyond logic

Incommensurability

When two frameworks cannot be directly compared because they use different standards

Science

A human activity aimed at understanding the world through justified beliefs

Technology

A human activity aimed at solving practical problems using justified beliefs about artifacts or systems

Incremental development

A process where improvements occur step-by-step rather than through sudden conceptual shifts

Complementary technologies

Tools that become useful only after supporting systems mature

Generation

Attempting to solve a problem before seeing the answer

Reflection

Thinking back on what was learned and how it connects

Schematizing

Creating diagrams or structures to organize ideas

Interleaving

Studying by mixing different types of problems rather than repeating one type

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation that must be testable

Theory

A broad framework connecting many observations into general claims

Law

A statement believed to be universally true, though rarely used today

Justification

Evidence-based reasoning that supports a belief or claim

Knowledge

A belief supported by evidence that corresponds to reality

Induction

Reasoning that moves from specific cases to broader generalizations

Deduction

Reasoning that moves from general principles to specific conclusions

Pessimistic meta-induction

The argument that past ideas have failed, so current ideas will also eventually fail

Replication

Repeating a study to confirm its reliability

p-hacking

Manipulating data or analysis until a desired statistical result appears

HARKing

Creating an explanation only after seeing the results

Greeks

A culture that focused on reasoning rather than experimentation

Romans

A culture that excelled in infrastructure but did little natural inquiry

Middle Ages

A period where labor-saving devices expanded due to social changes

Scientific Revolution

A period marked by new methods, instruments, and systematic inquiry

Walkman

A consumer device that succeeded despite experts predicting failure

Penicillin

A medical breakthrough that required solving manufacturing problems before becoming widely useful

Spyglass

A visual device that enabled major astronomical discoveries

Still learning (13)

You've started learning these terms. Keep it up!