{"id":28,"date":"2019-06-17T18:24:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T22:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/053humanbiology\/chapter\/1-3-the-nature-of-science-2\/"},"modified":"2022-01-19T15:56:59","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T20:56:59","slug":"1-3-the-nature-of-science-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/053humanbiology\/chapter\/1-3-the-nature-of-science-2\/","title":{"raw":"1.3\u00a0The Nature of Science","rendered":"1.3\u00a0The Nature of Science"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\nCreated by:\u00a0CK-12\/Adapted by: Christine Miller<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"Clip\r\n

Defining Science<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"1370\"]Science[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>\u00a0is a distinctive way of gaining knowledge about the natural world that starts with a question and then tries to answer the question\u00a0using\u00a0evidence and logic.\u00a0It\u00a0is an exciting exploration of all the whys and hows that any curious person might\u00a0ask\u00a0about the world. You can be part of that exploration! Besides your curiosity, all you need is a basic understanding of how scientists think and how [pb_glossary id=\"1370\"]science[\/pb_glossary] is done. In this concept, you'll learn how to think like a scientist.\r\n

Thinking Like a Scientist<\/span><\/h2>\r\nThinking like a scientist rests on certain underlying assumptions. Scientists assume that:\r\n\r\n \r\n
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Nature Is\u00a0Understandable<\/h2>\r\nScientists think of nature as a single system controlled by natural laws. By discovering natural laws, scientists strive to increase their understanding of the natural world. Laws of nature are expressed as scientific laws. A\u00a0[pb_glossary id=\"1291\"]scientific law[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>\u00a0is a statement that describes what always happens under certain conditions in nature.\r\n

Scientific Ideas Are Open to\u00a0Change<\/h2>\r\nScience is\u00a0both\u00a0a process\u00a0and\u00a0body of knowledge.\u00a0Scientific knowledge is generated through systematic processes, such as\u00a0[pb_glossary id=\"1290\"]observation[\/pb_glossary]\u00a0and experimentation.\u00a0Scientists are always testing and revising their ideas, and as new observations are made, existing ideas may be challenged. Ideas may be replaced with new ideas that better fit the facts, but more often, existing ideas are simply revised. Through many new discoveries over time, scientists gradually build an increasingly accurate and detailed understanding of the natural world.\r\n

Scientific Knowledge May Be Long Lasting<\/h2>\r\nMany scientific ideas have\u00a0stood\u00a0the test of time. About 200 years ago, the scientist John Dalton<\/a> proposed atomic theory \u2014 the theory that all matter is made of tiny particles called atoms. This theory is still valid today. During the two centuries since the theory was first proposed,\u00a0scientists have\u00a0learned a lot more about atoms and the even smaller particles\u00a0that compose them. Nonetheless, the idea that all matter consists of atoms remains valid. There are many other examples of basic\u00a0scientific\u00a0ideas that have been tested repeatedly and proven sound. You will learn about many of them as you study human biology.\r\n

Not All Questions Can be Answered by Science<\/h2>\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"1370\"]Science[\/pb_glossary] rests on evidence and logic, and evidence comes from observations. Therefore, science deals only with things that can be observed. An\u00a0[pb_glossary id=\"1290\"]observation[\/pb_glossary]\u00a0is anything that is detected through human\u00a0senses\u00a0or with instruments or\u00a0measuring devices that extend human\u00a0senses. Things that cannot be observed or measured by\u00a0current\u00a0means \u2014 such as supernatural beings or events \u2014 are outside the bounds of science. Consider these two questions about life on Earth:\r\n