What Is The Nature Of Science?

A Short Course for the Curious

What you'll learn
You will be entertained while contemplating scientific truth and discovery, past and present.
Define what scientists do.
Describe the difference between theory and law, as related to scientific knowledge.
Give two examples of how scientific "truth" develops over time.
State the contributions of four scientists.
Requirements
No prior science experience necessary.
Description
What do scientists do? Is science a belief? Is science true?Join with Professor Lehman to explore past experiments, hear stories of great scientists, and dig into your own understanding to discover some answers together. Starting with a discussion of what scientists do, you may be surprised at the why and how of scientists' work.What happens when scientists disagree?  How does society come to accept new theories, and why?How important are measurements?  Can we be certain of things we cannot see?  Through Professor Lehman's lecture you will become comfortable with uncertainty…within reason! You will become prepared when someone makes a scientific claim - is it an observation that can be measurable?  And repeated?For instance:  We all breathe air.  But for centuries we didn't understand what "air" is.  Explore the evolution of scientific knowledge through the example of oxygen.  As we see what people believed was true has changed, we can accept the process of science.  And not be fooled.What is science without experiments?  In our lecture watch Professor Lehman perform two simple experiments to demonstrate the principles of the course.Pay attention - Professor Lehman has a sly sense of humor!Featuring:  Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, The United States Air Force, Joseph Priestley, and Antoine LaVoisier“There’s plenty of goofiness in science and we’re still sorting it out.” -Professor Lehman

Overview

Section 1: What Do Scientists Do?

Lecture 1 What Do Scientists Do?

Section 2: Theory vs. Law: What Happens when Newton and Einstein Disagree?

Lecture 2 Theory vs. Law: What Happens When Newton and Einstein Disagree?

Section 3: Observations Need Measurements

Lecture 3 Observations Need Measurements

Section 4: Let There Be Light - Or Not

Lecture 4 Let There Be Light - Or Not: Recreating a 1700's Candle Experiment

Section 5: Communication Among Scientists

Lecture 5 Communication Among Scientists - What is Phlogiston Theory?

Section 6: Bonus Section

Lecture 6 Professor Lehman's Online Chemistry Tutorials (Bonus Lecture)

Teens through adults curious about how science becomes "truth.",This course is for the casual learner who wonders what it means when people say phrases such as, "Follow the science."