science & society unit 1

from packet papers and in-class notes

what is science?

• never-ending quest for knowledge

• way of interrogating our universe

• tool for guiding when our intuition isn’t enough

why can’t we trust our gut?

• favors pattern recognition (to play heuristics, to save energy)

• cognitive bias: predictable weakness in the way we think, which tells us our way is the only valid experience

scientific method

a cyclical, connected process in uncovering the mysteries of our world

• inspiration/passion: new technology, practical problem, curiosity

• exploration and discovery: making observations, asking questions, exploring the literature, finding inspiration, sharing data and ideas

• testing ideas (gathering and interpreting data): hypotheses—expected results/observations—-actual results/observations; supportive, contradictory, surprising or inconclusive data may…support a hypothesis, oppose a hypothesis, inspire revised/new hypothesis, inspire revised assumptions

• benefits and outcome: develop technology, address societal issues, inform policy, solve everyday problems, satisfy curiosity, build knowledge

• community analysis and feedback: feedback and peer review, replication, publication, discussion with colleagues; coming up with new questions/ideas, theory building

what makes water so unique?

• ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE BECAUSE OF ITS CHEMICAL PROPERTIES THAT ALLOW CELLULAR PROCESSES

• chemical composition: H2O

• structural formula: bent, creating dipole movement and polarity (separation of positive and negative charge)

• universal solvent

• high boiling point bc of hydrogen bonding (attraction between molecules)

• liquid phase has a higher density than the solid phase

water containments

microbes, chemicals, pH, PFAs, turbidity, NO3-, TDS

microbes

microorganism that can be harmless, helpful, or dangerous; introduced to drinking water via contamination

PFAS

manmade synthetic chemicals considered '“forever chemicals”; found in household items and can cause chronic health problems

pH

measure of how acidic or basic a solution is, with 7 meaning neutral; solubility of different chemicals change as pH changes; can use pH indicator or meter

chemicals

heavy metals, radium, pesticides; often the result of agriculture; linked to chronic diseases; removed by specific filtration devices

turbidity

measure of relative clarity or cloudiness of a liquid; can be indicative of contamination; can use Secchi Disk or turbidity metter

NO3-

typically measured in ppm; high nitrogen levels may lead to algae blooms + is associated with cancer; can use colormetric test strips or spectrophotometry

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

indicates the amount of mineral content (salt, metal, dissolved compounds); impacts taste and hardness of water

qualitative

refers to a descriptive feature or label

quantitative

measurement using numbers

Shared External Reality

“the belief in an external world independent of the perceiving subject is the basis of all natural science”—in order to perform science, we have to be respectful of perspectives and values

evaluation of data

• relevant: related or connect to the investigation

• reliable: credibility, precision, and repeatability

• accurate: is it correct? is it reflective of what’s happening?

decision-making

• data: information that becomes evidence when it has been interpreted and is used to support or refute a scientific idea

• evidence: information that supports an idea

• claim: a statement that asserts something is true

• trade-off: a compromise where something is given up in return for something else

validation

process of determining the accuracy of a number; consider human sense observations, scientific tool, reliability, accuracy, clear definitions BUT also human error, different povs, cross-contamination, etc

paradigm

a set of assumptions/concepts/values that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them

thomas kuhn

american historian/philosopher of science; introduced the term “paradigm shift” and the structure of science revolution

science progress

• progress is NOT linear

• paradigm shift open new approaches and understandings that were previously considered invalid

• *scientific truth is not established solely by objective criteria; it’s defined by a consensus of a science community, meaning one has to be able to sway members of a community to believe

• includes Kuhn Cycle

Kuhn Cycle

prescience—normal science—model drift—model crisis—model revolution—paradigm shift

pre-science

pre-paradigm phase; no model of understanding that can solve the field’s main problems

normal science

reached when a scientific field has a guiding model of understanding (paradigm); success is derived from a fields willingness to defend paradigm and suppress fundamental novelties

model drift

occurs when the paradigm cannot handle problems or explain phenomena; driven by anomalies; often paradigm can be modified to explain anomalies (how theories mature)

model crisis

paradigm has been shattered; it’s not your solutions that are failing, instead it’s your method of producing solutions that has failed—how do I got about this?

model revolution

characterized by violent change; begins when one or more competing new models emerge from the crisis; new paradigm must resolve understanding problems that can be met in no other way

paradigm change

this can be a slow step due to change resistance and bias; the new paradigm is adopted by experts and taught to newcomers

kuhn quote

“science revolution novelty emerges only with difficulty, manifested by resistance, and against a bias provided by expectation”

how do Exceptions affect Perceptions?

• dominance

• compromise

• disruption

• overrode: making note but not engaging

• cognitive bias: we see what we want to see

• recognition: once one realizes, they can’t be tricked again bc their understanding has broadened

iteration

revision of an idea or process; as new evidence becomes available with improved methods of data collection, scientists may further support or adjust their ideas

iteration of ideas statements

scientists collaborate with others to develop ideas; data from human sense can be used to validate data from scientific technology; scientific ideas are supported or refuted by multiple lines of evidence; scientists spend lots of time trying to develop unique investigation; science relies on scientific technology along with human initiative and senses to provide relevant, accurate, and reliable data

case study key ideas

• failing is a part of iteration; available technology and data along with human exploration can be used to address problems in one’s community; time and cost matter in relation to taking action

scientific optimism

the belief that persistence and iteration on a scientific problem will eventually lead to insights; keeps us going

data collection

summarizing and interpreting to propose solutions

reflection on water-filtration device

different goals to meet in an efficient and cost-effective manner; had to consider what and how much of materials/volume produced/filtration rate; account for pH/color/turbidity; collaborative process and iteration

1.10 solutions through science

• bacteria in water: analyze sample of water with microscope and other tools

• causing people to fall ill: experiment of control and testing group

• effects are widespread: random survey, asking for report on symptoms

• needed multiple lines of evidence; have to consider the content and community; doesn’t have in one go