The Science of BiologyThe Study of Life

http://www.ted.com/talks/award_winning_teen_age_science_in_action.html

The Goal of Science is to:•Investigate and understand nature

•Explain events in nature•Use explanations to make useful predictions

What is Science?Your definition:

Science is an organized way of using evidence to

learn about the natural world.

Science is Imaginative and Creative Problem

Solving

Think Outside the Box Place a sheet of newspaper on the ground so that you and

another person can stand on it, but no matter how hard you try, you and the other person cannot touch each

other.

Evidence Based Observation

Develop a QuestionData Driven

Empirical

Inference Boxes•Make observations (without opening the box)•Describe what the inside of the box looks like.

Interpreting Evidence Inference: logical interpretation

based on prior knowledge and experience

Observation Research

Guess What?Choose 1 Architect

2 Interpreters1 Builder

Hypothesis Explaining Evidence

If …Then Statement Based on Observation and Research You should be able to justify why you chose a

given hypothesis.

Sport Science Hypotheses Which generates more force, football or cheer

leading?

Which sport has the smelliest athletes?

Does moisture wicking clothing increase athletic performance in high heat?

Which generates more force, Ray Lewis or a battering ram?

Who is more accurate, an NFL quarterback or a professional archer?

Experimental DesignSetting Up a Controlled Experiment

Keys to a Scientific Investigation

Only 1 variable tested at a timeWhat is the difference between a dependent and an independent

variable?

Keys to a Scientific Investigation Look for patterns and draw a

conclusions Graphs are a great way to locate patterns and

trends Repeating and Publishing

Test Only 1 Variable at a Time

What is the difference between the independent and depend variable?

Include a Basis for Comparison

The Control Group

Keep Detailed RecordsData Tables

DrawingsPhotographs

Look for Patterns and Draw Conclusions

Graphs are a great way to locate patterns and trends.Line graphs are typically the best in scientific investigations.

Extrapolation Extending the graph, along the same

slope, above or below measured data? • What purpose would extrapolation serve?

Interpolation predicting data between two

measured points on the graph. • What purpose would interpolation serve?

Line of Best Fit The lines on scientific graphs are

usually drawn either straight or curved.

These "smoothed" lines do not have to touch all the data points, but they should at least get close to most of them• What is the purpose of a best fit line?

Best Fit Line: The lines on scientific graphs are usually drawn either

straight or curved. These "smoothed" lines do not have to

touch all the data points, but they should at least get close to most of

them.

Experimental Design Practice

Bob thinks that a special juice will increase the productivity of workers. He creates two groups of 50 workers each and assigns

each group the same task (in this case, they're supposed to staple a set of papers). Group A is given the special juice to drink

while they work. Group B is not given the special juice. After an hour, Bob counts how many stacks of papers each group has

made. Group A made 1,587 stacks, Group B made 2,113 stacks.

What is the Control Group?•The group without the juice

What is the Independent Variable?•Whether or not the workers receive juice

What is the Dependent Variable•Work productivity

What should Bob’s conclusion be?•The juice does not impact worker productivity.•More trials needed for more conclusive data

How could this experiment be improved?•More trials

•Use a placebo

Frank notices that his shower is covered in a strange green slime. His friend Barney tells him that coconut juice will get rid of the green slime. Frank decides to check this out by spraying half of the shower with coconut juice. He

sprays the other half of the shower with water. After 3 days of "treatment" there is no change in the appearance

of the green slime on either side of the shower.

What was the initial observation?Slime on the shower

Does it appear that Frank did good research before he began his experiment? Why or why not?

 No research indicates that coconut juice would be a good cleanerWhat is the Control Group?

 the half of the shower not sprayed with coconut juiceWhat is the Independent Variable?

 treatment with coconut juiceWhat is the Dependent Variable?

Presence of scumWhat should Frank's conclusion be?

Coconut juice is not effective as a scum remover

Billy believes that mice exposed to UV radiation will become extrastrong. He decides to perform this experiment by placing 10 mice in

a tanning bed for 10 seconds. He compared these 10 mice toanother 10 mice that had not been exposed. His test consisted of a

heavy block of wood that blocked the mouse food. He found that8 out of 10 of the tan mice were able to push the block away. 7 out of

10 of the non-tan mice were able to do the same.

What is the Control Group? Those mice not exposed to UV radiation

What is the Independent Variable? Whether or not they receive UV radiation

What is the Dependent Variable? The strength of the mouse

What should Billy's conclusion be?Inconclusive evidence…more trials needed