Scientific Methods

Science

A way to use more reliable evidence to make conclusions on our own 

Biology

The scientific study of life

What are the three branches of life?

• eukarya

• archaea

• bacteria

What are the steps of the scientific method?

• Observation

• Formulate a question

• Review current info on subject 

• Form a hypotheses 

• Conduct an experiment 

• Draw conclusions

Anecdotal Evidence

Based on personal experiences

Scientific Evidence

Based on systematic observation and experimentation

Why does anecdotal evidence “feel” correct?

It seems persuasive but is informal and not verified  

What makes a hypothesis scientific?

It must be testable and falsifiable

Control

The baseline/ original state used for comparison

Independent Variable 

The variable that changes or manipulates in the experiment

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured/ what changes in response to the independent variable

What is a scientific theory?

A hypothesis supported by thousands of experiments

Epidemiology 

The study of patterns of disease in populations (including risk factors) 

Correlation vs Causation

Just because something seems in correlation doesn’t mean one caused the other

How is the scientific method used to test hypotheses?

• science is a way of seeking answers to questions using observations and experiments

What factors influence the strength of the conclusions of scientific studies and their relevance to humans? 

• Peer review 

• Controls

• Strength of conclusions 

What are the forms of radiation in order from highest to lowest

• xrays

• UV rays

• microwaves

• radiowaves

All articles published in scientific journals have been peer-reviewed? (T/F)

False

Radiation that falls at the hight energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum has been what?

Show to cause cancer 

Ionizing Radiation

High energy radiation that can remove atoms forming ions

• x-rays

• gamma rays

Deionizing Radiation

The process of neutralizing ions by returning or gaining back electrons

Non-Ionizing Radiation

Lower-energy radiation that cannot ionize atoms but can move or excite them

• radio waves

• microwaves

• visible light

Case-Control Study

A study that compares people with a disease (cases) to people without it (controls) and looks backward to find risk factors or causes