LO1 - Scientific Method and Ways of Knowing

Vocabulary flashcards covering the terminology of the scientific method, inductive and deductive reasoning, objective vs subjective concepts, scientific hypotheses and theories, and models of science and faith relationships.

Science

A body of knowledge and an objective method of investigating the natural world.

Objective

Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions when considering information; a matter of fact.

Subjective

Influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions, and dependent on each individual's unique perception.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning that begins with a specific observation and draws a general conclusion, used in building hypotheses.

Inductive Leap

The step in inductive reasoning where a specific fact is generalized to all possible examples, which may or may not be valid.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning that begins with a well-established premise or general principle and draws specific conclusions to make predictions.

Scientific Hypothesis

A tentative, preliminary explanation for observations of the natural world that is informed by available facts and past or present observations.

Falsifiable

A required property of a scientific hypothesis stating that it can be rejected if it is unsupported by data.

Scientific Theory

A comprehensive explanation of some phenomenon in nature that is strongly supported by many facts over time and based on testable hypotheses.

Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$) Climate Effect

The scientific finding that $CO_2$ causes warming by absorbing and re-emitting infrared light to retain heat, with human activity accounting for most $CO_2$ increases in the last 200 years.

Conflict Model

A model of science and faith relationships (Barbour, 1997) stating that science and religion have nothing to do with one another and conflict.

Independence Model

A model of science and faith relationships (Barbour, 1997) stating that science and religion are separate domains with different languages and ways of thinking.

Dialogue Model

A model of science and faith relationships (Barbour, 1997) stating that science and religion are independent disciplines that can inform one another.

Integration Model

A model of science and faith relationships (Barbour, 1997) stating that science and religion can be unified and that both are needed to most fully understand our world.

Science and Faith Relationships (Barbour, 1997)

The four potential frameworks describing interactions between science and faith: Conflict, Independence, Dialogue, and Integration.

Biologos Foundation

An organization advocating science and faith in dialogue, which states that science is a way of loving God with our minds and that cultural/theological contexts are key for interpreting creation accounts.

Dr. Francis Collins

Former director of the NIH who stated that studying the natural world is an opportunity to study the majesty, elegance, and intricacy of God's creation.

Dr. John Walton

An Old Testament scholar and professor who states that the Bible was written "for us, but not to us."

Kallistos Ware

An English bishop and theologian who stated that it is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery.