Why is the sky blue? Why are sumo wrestlers so fat? How does the chicken cross the road with so much traffic?
The answers of many questions that trouble us can be found by doing first hand investigations. In science, first hand investigations allow scientists to discover new things and explain old things. Through these, they are able to form hypothesises, models, experiments, theories and even laws.
First, when observations are made, hypothesises are formed. To test these hypothesises scientists conduct experiments. If their hypothesis is right, it is confirmed by further experiments and validated by other scientists. After many experiments and confirmations, a theory is formed. A scientific theory is a broad and general idea or explanation provided by scientists and is related to observations and is supported by a large amount of evidence. A theory is not a fact however it is just a possible explanation. An example of a theory is the Big Bang Theory.
A theory can lead to the development of a model which provides a visual representation and explanation of the scientists’ understanding. A model can assist in predicting what could happen if a particular incident occurs. An example of a model is the Niels Bohr model of the atom.
Further research is conducted to test the theory and the model. As advances in technology occur, more information can be obtained and so the theories and models can then be altered. If the model or theory seems to hold true in numerous areas of science, a scientific law is formed. These laws provide a greater level of understanding and explain why many things happen. An example of a law is Sir Isaac Newton’s law of Inertia.
In Biology, first hand investigations in the form of field studies are conducted ...
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...rganisms’ populations to decrease as well. On the other hand, if the predator’s population was to decrease drastically, then the prey’s population would come to a rise. There may then not be enough food available for the prey. This could also cause populations to decrease.
In conclusion, first hand investigations are important in finding answers of many questions that biologists have. They provide the investigator with a better understanding of a particular issue as opposed to interpreting data from secondary sources. In biology, first hand investigations are used to calculate abundance and distribution of animals in an ecosystem. Although methods to calculate abundance and distribution can be useful to investigators some have a negative impact on the environment and so ethical behaviour should be considered before scientists interfere with the lives of organisms.
The overall goal of science is to be able to gain an understanding of the phenomena being studied by conducting different scientific investigations that create knowledge that qualifies one or more of the three levels of understanding.
In science, a theory will refer to an explanation of an important feature of the world supported by testing and facts that have been gathered over time. It’s there scientific theories that allow scientists to make predictions about untested and unobserved concurrences in the world. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has this explanation of what a theory means to those in the science field, and it is as follows, “A scientific theory is a well substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts......Such fact supported theories are not guesses but reliable accounts of the real
The process of scientific inquiry begins with the motivation to uncover the answer to a question. It then requires extensive research to gather all the information that could possibly be useful. Finally, one must put all the pieces of the puzzle together to make sense of all the information gathered and interpret it to answer the question. The last step is to write out what has been learned and publicize it to spread the new knowledge. There are many other factors, however, that also come into play in the process of scientific inquiry.
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers (2009) “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior” (Akers, (2009, p. 1). Theory is a set of interconnect statements that explain how two or more things are related in two casual fashions, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
Carl G. Hempel was of the most influential proponents of what is now regarded as the classic view of explanation in science. In his work, Philosophy of Natural Science, he created the deductive-nomological model which is the following account of scientific explanation, where an explanation is set out as a formalized argument. This is the principle format for works such as Aristotle’s Physica, Ptolemy’s Almagest, Newton’s Principia and Opticks, Franklin’s Electricity, Lavoisie’s Chemistry, and Lyell’s Geology. Thomas Kuhn calls these achievements Paradigms. Through these paradigms normal science developed. In Kuhn’s book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, he argues that normal science in a way hinders the development of new phenomenon. He says that there must be a change in a paradigm to create a scientific revolution. Throughout this essay I will explain what Hempel’s model consists of and how it relates to Kuhn’s view.
A model is a simplified representation of the structure and content of a phenomenon or system that describes or explains the complex relationships between concepts within the system and integrates elements of theory and practice (Creek et al 1993).
Scientists make progress by using the scientific method, a process of checking conclusions against nature. After observing something, a scientist tries to explain what has been seen. The explanation is called a hypothesis. There is always at least one alternative hypothesis. A part of nature is tested in a "controlled experiment" to see if the explanation matches reality. A controlled experiment is one in which all treatments are identical except that some are exposed to the hypothetical cause and some are not.
For example, if the larger fish are removed than its prey begins to overpopulate, due to the lack of population control. The balance in the oceans is an urgent problem, with around 90% of predatory fish stocks depleted. The ripples can extend even further to land creatures like seagulls.
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers, “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior.” Theory is a set of interconnected statements that explain how two or more things are related, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
Theory is explained as a set of concepts, definitions, relationships, and assumptions that amplify a systematic view of a phenomenon. Theory is made up of one or more specific and concrete
The quest for the absolute truth and knowledge is an unending and tiresome process in which we set out to confirm answers to questions, statement, problems, aspects of life, and theories, which are apparent in our society. The use of models as learning tools is a rudimentary and greatly helpful in understanding and answering questions. Models are fundamental in our search for knowledge as they simplify ideas to be easily interpreted by masses of populations. Being just a representation models are usually more simple then the actual concept or idea itself, this leads to the model hindering us in our search for knowledge. Models provide us with capacity to comprehend and carry out a valid assessments for real life situations, in both social sciences and natural sciences, but they all come with their hinderances to knowledge claims.
Science is the body of organized knowledge. Science is the collection of ideas and theories and the methodology used by people to prove them. It is the set of methods that people follow in order to explain the things that they see, the things that they perceive and the things that they believe in.
Evidence can be anything that used to prove an assertion. Evidence in science will be focused on this essay. Scientific evidences can be used to support or reject the hypothesis in science. The evidences are often found by different scientific methods. Based on various scientific methods, scientific evidence can be mainly divided into two types which are observational and experimental evidence.
Science is the observation of natural events and conditions in order to discover facts about them and to formulate laws and principles based on these facts. Academic Press Dictionary of Science & Technology --------------------------------------------------------------------- Science is an intellectual activity carried on by humans that is designed to discover information about the natural world in which humans live and to discover the ways in which this information can be organized into meaningful patterns. A primary aim of science is to collect facts (data).
The book is not providing explanation on what scientists did or how they did it. However, it offer explanations on how scientists think and how they make conclusions. In addition to the many topics explored, it is worth noting that there are also interesting tales behind some big discoveries in science which are an added attraction to this book. The Author, Dr Samir Okasha, a professor of philosophy of science at the Bristol University states that his aim of writing this book was to pass the philosophy of science in a way that can be understood by everyone. He also sought to pass his ideals in a manner that is free from complicated Jargon, with real world examples to enable all readers understand and