OSU Biology 10x, BI101, BI102, BI103, Biology at OSU and Beyond

BIOLOGY 102 NATURE OF SCIENCE SURVEY
Please complete the survey form provided in the first week's activity prior to looking at the answers.
Printable Blank Nature of Science Survey (in case you misplace the one provided in the activity)
#	Statement	Correct Answer
1	Science can prove anything, solve any problem, or answer any question.	False - Science is only able to provide knowledge about observable natural phenomena. Many problems and questions, such as how to re-build communities after the devastation of the Indian Ocean Earthquake, are only addressed with knowledge acquired from many disciplines.
2	Different scientists may get different solutions to the same problem.	True - Science is a human endeavor, and scientists differ in their knowledge, beliefs, and abilities. As a result, different scientists can analyze similar data in different ways and ask very different questions.
3	Science is primarily concerned with understanding how the natural world works.	True - This understanding includes trying to describe repeatedly occurring natural phenomena and trying to explain why and/or how the phenomena occur (the mechanism).
4	Science can be done poorly.	True - There are many examples in the history of science where mistakes have occurred. It can be anything from mistaken observations, to poorly designed studies, to errors in data collection, to mistaken analysis and miscommunications.
5	Science is primarily a method for inventing new devices.	False - The method of inventing new devices is an aspect of technology, which is an application of scientific knowledge.
6	Scientists have solved most of the major mysteries of nature.	False - This is a tough one to answer, because it is difficult to determine how much you don't know! However, there are still many big questions about the universe, and life on Earth that remain unanswered. If anything, more questions appear every time new knowledge is acquired.
7	Science can study things and events that happened in the past, even if there was no one there to observe the event.	True - Science relies on observation, and this can include indirect observation, or using available resources (like dinosaur fossils), to piece together something that may have occurred in the past. As you might expect, this form of research can be difficult due to limited amounts of available information.
8	Most engineers and medical doctors are practicing scientists.	False - Many engineers and doctors do not conduct research, although all use knowledge gained through science research in their daily practice.
9	Scientists often try to disprove their own ideas.	True - This may sound funny, but many scientists spend years attempting to find alternative explanations to their research findings. This process strengthens understandings or provides alternative explanations that may more accurately represent the data.
10	Scientists can believe in God or a supernatural being and still do good science.	True - Many scientists have strong religious and ethical belief systems. Beliefs, values, and attitudes impact the research process and are an important component of how science is done.
11	Any research based on logic and reasoning is scientific.	False - Many disciplines rely on logic and reasoning to develop knowledge and understandings (consider philosophy), although they may not be limited to observable natural phenomena.
12	Science can be influenced by race, gender, nationality, or religion of the scientist.	True - Who a scientist is as a person will impact how he/she views the world, asks questions, designs studies, analyzes data, and communicates with others.
13	Science involves dealing with many uncertainties.	True - Since there is so much that is not known about the universe, scientists continually investigate new and unfamiliar topics (consider new diseases like SARS) and try new techniques of investigation that may or may not be effective. Also, research can lead to understanding just how much we do not know, as many new questions may arise through data analysis.
14	Scientific concepts and discoveries can cause new problems for people.	True - There are many examples where new scientific knowledge has caused society to have to cope with how that knowledge should be applied (consider nuclear weapons, human cloning).
15	Something that is "proven scientifically" is considered by scientists as being a fact, and therefore no longer subject to change.	False - Scientific knowledge is tentative, and always subject to change. Sometimes scientific knowledge may remain unchanged for decades or centuries, and begin to feel like a "fact" and then a new technology or new idea reveals that the knowledge may be inaccurate or incomplete.
16	Science requires a great deal of creative activity.	True - Creativity is a key component of all aspects of science research. Approaching a question in a new way, designing a novel study, or analyzing data in a way not done before can all result from a creative approach to the research process.
17	Disagreement between scientists is one of the weaknesses of science.	False - Disagreement, or the resistance to continual agreement, is an important aspect of science. Without conflicting ideas and explanations, knowledge can not change to represent more accurate or complete understandings. This being said, scientists are human, and there have been many case where disagreements became quite personal, and damaging to a particular scientist's career. It is important to consider new ideas and questions, even if they are in opposition to those ideas of predominant scientists.