Test Your Scientific Literacy!
Richard Carrier
(2001)
Do you think you know what science is? You may be surprised. Scientific literacy is hard to acquire and is not widespread. Science is, after all, a very complex and nuanced affair that can only be truly understood with wide experience and deep thought. It took the whole of human civilization thousands of years to hit upon it, and thousands more to master it. Recent books have explored the unnatural, counter-intuitive, and difficult nature of science, refuting the naive Enlightenment view that science is nothing more than disciplined common sense.[1] We freethinkers and secularists should be keen above all to become fully literate in the nature of science and to encourage the spread of this literacy throughout the general public. Indeed, ignorance of science is a leading cause of support for superstitions, cults, and those religions that shackle the mind, or foster bigotry or worse.
A recent study of the effect of “history of science” courses on improving a student’s understanding of the nature of science sets the groundwork for a simple test of scientific literacy which I have created here.[2] Though there were several flaws in the study that make its conclusions somewhat questionable, the researchers had the right idea, and their results suggested an astonishingly poor understanding of science even among high school science teachers. By “scientific literacy” in this study, and in the following test, what is meant is the nature of science, not its content. People are awash with scientific content. Many scientific facts are common knowledge: the average person on the street knows more scientific facts than the most educated men of antiquity. “Scientific literacy” in the more prosaic sense of simply knowing what scientists have concluded on any given subject is a secondary concern. It does no good to know all the products of science and yet not understand science itself. For it is the nature of science that sets it apart from all other sources of authority, and which is most helpful in instructing our own lives and our own personal pursuit of the truth. To the scientific illiterate, scientific facts can be little more than the oracular pronouncements of a priestly caste of prophets whom we call “scientists,” an analogy I have heard sincerely trumpeted by the religious right more than once (betraying their ignorance of the nature and history of science). We can know all sorts of facts about geology or astronomy or biology, but if we don’t understand how those facts were ascertained and demonstrated, our minds will remain linked with those of our primitive ancestors who let themselves be led by common sense into all manner of errors and superstitions. Scientific literacy is the key to enlightenment.
The Internet Infidels Test of Scientific Literacy
Answer each question with 'true' if what the sentence most normally means is typically true and 'false' if it is typically false.
1. Scientists usually expect an experiment to turn out a certain way.
2. Science only produces tentative conclusions that can change.
3. Science has one uniform way of conducting research called “the scientific method.”
4. Scientific theories are explanations and not facts.
5. To be scientific one must have faith only in what is justified by empirical evidence.
6. Science is just about the facts, not human interpretations of them.
7. To be scientific one must conduct experiments.
8. Scientific theories only change when new information becomes available.
9. Scientists manipulate their experiments to produce particular results.
10. Science proves facts true in a way that is definitive and final.
11. An experiment can prove a theory true.
12. Science is partly based on beliefs, assumptions, and the nonobservable.
13. Imagination and creativity are used in all stages of scientific investigations.
14. Scientific theories are just ideas about how something works.
15. A scientific law is a theory that has been extensively and thoroughly confirmed.
16. Scientists’ education, background, opinions, disciplinary focus, and basic guiding assumptions and philosophies influence their perception and interpretation of the available data.
17. A scientific law will not change because it has been proven true.
18. An accepted scientific theory is an hypothesis that has been confirmed by considerable evidence and has endured all attempts to disprove it.
19. A scientific law describes relationships among observable phenomena but does not explain them.
20. Science relies on deduction (x entails y) more than induction (x implies y).
21. Scientists invent explanations, models or theoretical entities.
22. Scientists construct theories to guide further research.
23. Scientists accept the existence of theoretical entities that have never been directly observed.
24. Scientific laws are absolute or certain.
Answer Key:
After each correct answer [(T)rue or (F)alse] is a number in parentheses that identifies the point of discussion below that explains the answers.
See:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/ ... ciLit.html
------------------
Kindness in words creates confidence
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness,
Kindness in feeling creates love. .
Lao Tzu
Test Your Scientific Literacy!
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Snorrithor
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Test Your Scientific Literacy!
And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery,
And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.
-- Walt Whitman (in 'Song of Myself' from 'Leaves of Grass')
And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.
-- Walt Whitman (in 'Song of Myself' from 'Leaves of Grass')
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daboodaddy
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Snorrithor
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No. He was the mythical founder of Taoism (or Daoism) in China. Jesus was the mythical founder of Christianity.<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Ninerism:
Snor, wasn't Lao Tzu really a Christian?</font>
And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery,
And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.
-- Walt Whitman (in 'Song of Myself' from 'Leaves of Grass')
And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.
-- Walt Whitman (in 'Song of Myself' from 'Leaves of Grass')
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FahvahKarol
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FahvahKarol
Moon Beam
Posts: 668
From: Fairbanks, AK, USA
Registered: Jul 2001
posted 28 December 2001 12:39 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Is a Post at C2C 26-27Dec Regarding Sean 'What'sHisName's' Predictions.
As Regards Tonight's C2C.
The 2003 Prediction of 'Establishing' Communication With ExtraDimensional Consciousness, (Katchina), as Well As ExtraTerrestial Conforms With 'My' Thoughts and Wishes as Regards the Future Physicist. I Have Thought Now For a Long Time, (Envisioned, as it Were.), Physicist 'PRIESTS' Operating the Cyclotron at Speeds FAR Beyond the Speed of Light Constant, and Without Having to 'SMASH' Particles Together, but by Sheer Ability to Communicate With The Participating 'Particles', (ie. Katchina).
FaKa
********************************************
Considering that Until RECENTLY 'WE' Have Not Been Able to Move Past the Speed of Light 'Constant',('C'), of 186,000mps, but Have Only Been Able to 'Approximate' the Conditions of Beyond Light Speed by Creating a Single-Lane Highway and Inducing 'Packages' of Protons to Meet Each Other at Near Light Speeds and Their Combined Speeds Beyond 'C' Extracting the 'M'^2 Part of the Equation. Simply Means That With 9lbs of Protons ya Git 81lbs of Debris What the Janitor Has ta Sweep Up. And Since We Can't Seem to Locate the Drivers, We Have No Need of the ParaMedics or Emergency Room Operations.
Don't Ask 'ME' How 'They/Them' Scientists DO This. But Then Don't Ask 'ME' How to Fix Yur Car Either.
We Now Have Attained Speeds Far Greater Than Light at 'C'. Last Figure 'I' Heard Was Something Like 300 X 186,000mps. And 'WE' Attained These Speeds Long Before 'THEY' Announced It YOU Can Be Sure. Which kindasorta Begs the Question, "What Happens When Non-Particle Light Traveling at 300 X 'C' Comes Up On Non-Particle Light Traveling at....Say a Measly 7.5 X 'C'...., And Fails to PASS, Does It MAKE SOMETHING of ItSelf, or Do BOTH Speeds Continue On as If NOTHING Continues to Happen?".
Who Knows? Maybe SomeDay OUR Scientists Will Be Able to Move Big Stones Like What the Egyptians Did, (And THAT Guy at Coral Castles Florida.), and Maybe Even 'Duplicate' the Shroud of Turin. Except For the 'Shroud' We'll Need to Find a Volunteer.
The Brighter Side of This, Of Course, Is That It Is CONSCIOUSNESS of Those Individuals On the 'Other'Dimensions That ESTABLISH the Barriers and Boundaries of 'OUR' Ability, and Until PHYSICISTS Become PRIESTS of Consciousness and Establish Communications In 'Goodness', (Righteous Good Works in the Olde Language.), WE'll Have to Settle for Ghosts and Shadow People.
FaKa
Moon Beam
Posts: 668
From: Fairbanks, AK, USA
Registered: Jul 2001
posted 28 December 2001 12:39 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Is a Post at C2C 26-27Dec Regarding Sean 'What'sHisName's' Predictions.
As Regards Tonight's C2C.
The 2003 Prediction of 'Establishing' Communication With ExtraDimensional Consciousness, (Katchina), as Well As ExtraTerrestial Conforms With 'My' Thoughts and Wishes as Regards the Future Physicist. I Have Thought Now For a Long Time, (Envisioned, as it Were.), Physicist 'PRIESTS' Operating the Cyclotron at Speeds FAR Beyond the Speed of Light Constant, and Without Having to 'SMASH' Particles Together, but by Sheer Ability to Communicate With The Participating 'Particles', (ie. Katchina).
FaKa
********************************************
Considering that Until RECENTLY 'WE' Have Not Been Able to Move Past the Speed of Light 'Constant',('C'), of 186,000mps, but Have Only Been Able to 'Approximate' the Conditions of Beyond Light Speed by Creating a Single-Lane Highway and Inducing 'Packages' of Protons to Meet Each Other at Near Light Speeds and Their Combined Speeds Beyond 'C' Extracting the 'M'^2 Part of the Equation. Simply Means That With 9lbs of Protons ya Git 81lbs of Debris What the Janitor Has ta Sweep Up. And Since We Can't Seem to Locate the Drivers, We Have No Need of the ParaMedics or Emergency Room Operations.
Don't Ask 'ME' How 'They/Them' Scientists DO This. But Then Don't Ask 'ME' How to Fix Yur Car Either.
We Now Have Attained Speeds Far Greater Than Light at 'C'. Last Figure 'I' Heard Was Something Like 300 X 186,000mps. And 'WE' Attained These Speeds Long Before 'THEY' Announced It YOU Can Be Sure. Which kindasorta Begs the Question, "What Happens When Non-Particle Light Traveling at 300 X 'C' Comes Up On Non-Particle Light Traveling at....Say a Measly 7.5 X 'C'...., And Fails to PASS, Does It MAKE SOMETHING of ItSelf, or Do BOTH Speeds Continue On as If NOTHING Continues to Happen?".
Who Knows? Maybe SomeDay OUR Scientists Will Be Able to Move Big Stones Like What the Egyptians Did, (And THAT Guy at Coral Castles Florida.), and Maybe Even 'Duplicate' the Shroud of Turin. Except For the 'Shroud' We'll Need to Find a Volunteer.
The Brighter Side of This, Of Course, Is That It Is CONSCIOUSNESS of Those Individuals On the 'Other'Dimensions That ESTABLISH the Barriers and Boundaries of 'OUR' Ability, and Until PHYSICISTS Become PRIESTS of Consciousness and Establish Communications In 'Goodness', (Righteous Good Works in the Olde Language.), WE'll Have to Settle for Ghosts and Shadow People.
FaKa
Label Me Not,For Labels Only Serve to Negate THE ME....Aldous Huxley Modified.
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FahvahKarol
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The Only Problem With Santa Claus Is That Anthropologists Insist Upon 'Locating' Him At the North Pole, (Perhaps In Recognition to the Astronomy Department's Recognition of Certain Energies From Polaris Directed There.). HowEver, AnyOne With Half of a Brain kin Figure Out That SANTA LIVES On Jupiter and Gives Out His 'Gifts' Every 9hrs 55m 30s, and That It Is WINTER SOLSTICE That He CHANGES the Production Line. Which Is WHY When 'I' Was a Kid, We Had 'Cap' Pistols Instead of REAL Guns, and Why DOLLIES Were just Learning to Drink Water and PISS, and NOW 'They' Can Eat a Whole Meal Prepared in a Mini-MicroWave Oven!<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Pjean63:
Bloody hell, Snorri...Lao is mythical? well, what about Santa Claus, huh? I bet you'll say HE isn't real next!!
FaKa
Label Me Not,For Labels Only Serve to Negate THE ME....Aldous Huxley Modified.
I'm rocking out to Stevie Ray Vaughan music so PLEASE take that into consideration. "Express Your Self"
Thinking is ALL there is .... which too often isn't done in the cause and effect of hypothesis. Example ... lets see what the effect is of detenation. BOOM there gots our planet.
I didn't take the test either!
Thinking is ALL there is .... which too often isn't done in the cause and effect of hypothesis. Example ... lets see what the effect is of detenation. BOOM there gots our planet.
I didn't take the test either!
We can sympathize with a child who is afraid of the dark, but the real tragedy of life is that most people are afraid of the light.
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Snorrithor
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IF THE SCIENCE TEST MAKES YOUR BRAIN HURT - TRY THIS:
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS
1. What language is spoken in France?
2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions -OR- give the first name of Pierre Trudeau.
3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to
(a) build a bridge
(b) sail the ocean
(c) lead an army or
(d) WRITE A PLAY
4. What religion is the Pope?
(a) Jewish
(b) Catholic
(c) Hindu
(d) Polish
(e) Agnostic (check only one)
5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters?
6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5?
7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately)
8. What are people in America's far north called?
(a) Westerners
(b) Southerners
(c) Northerners
9. Spell -- Bush, Carter and Clinton
Bush:
Carter:
Clinton:
10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five.
11. Where does rain come from?
(a) Macy's
(b) a 7-11
(c) Canada
(d) the sky
12. Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity?
(a) yes
(b) no
13. What are coat hangers used for?
14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country?
15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium -OR- spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS.
16. Where is the basement in a three story building located?
17. Which part of America produces the most oranges?
(a) New York
(b) Florida
(c) Canada
(d) Wisconsin
18. Advanced math. If you have three apples how many apples do you have?
19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corp.) stand for?
20. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)?
(a) B.C.
(b) A.D.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://cmgm.stanford.edu/~lkozar/
[This message has been edited by Snorrithor (edited 28 December 2001).]
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS
1. What language is spoken in France?
2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions -OR- give the first name of Pierre Trudeau.
3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to
(a) build a bridge
(b) sail the ocean
(c) lead an army or
(d) WRITE A PLAY
4. What religion is the Pope?
(a) Jewish
(b) Catholic
(c) Hindu
(d) Polish
(e) Agnostic (check only one)
5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters?
6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5?
7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately)
8. What are people in America's far north called?
(a) Westerners
(b) Southerners
(c) Northerners
9. Spell -- Bush, Carter and Clinton
Bush:
Carter:
Clinton:
10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five.
11. Where does rain come from?
(a) Macy's
(b) a 7-11
(c) Canada
(d) the sky
12. Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity?
(a) yes
(b) no
13. What are coat hangers used for?
14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country?
15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium -OR- spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS.
16. Where is the basement in a three story building located?
17. Which part of America produces the most oranges?
(a) New York
(b) Florida
(c) Canada
(d) Wisconsin
18. Advanced math. If you have three apples how many apples do you have?
19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corp.) stand for?
20. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)?
(a) B.C.
(b) A.D.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://cmgm.stanford.edu/~lkozar/
[This message has been edited by Snorrithor (edited 28 December 2001).]
And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery,
And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.
-- Walt Whitman (in 'Song of Myself' from 'Leaves of Grass')
And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.
-- Walt Whitman (in 'Song of Myself' from 'Leaves of Grass')
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jeri sexton
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jeri sexton
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- Joined: 05-13-2000 02:00 AM
Hope this link works.. interesting read..
PBS - Scientific American Frontiers:Life's Really Big Questions:Anybody Out There?
Oops.. sorry ..I'll figure it out later..
[This message has been edited by jeri sexton (edited 25 January 2002).]
PBS - Scientific American Frontiers:Life's Really Big Questions:Anybody Out There?
Oops.. sorry ..I'll figure it out later..
[This message has been edited by jeri sexton (edited 25 January 2002).]
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