Argument Ninja Dojo/(1) Video Library > 5. Critical Thinking About Science

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(1) Video Library > 5. Critical Thinking About Science

Learn how philosophers and historians of science describe what science is and how it works

Note:

Access to this course is free, but it is also included in the Argument Ninja Dojo membership, starting as low as $3/month. Learn more about membership benefits and options by clicking on "Show me".
WHAT IS THIS COURSE ABOUT?

Is evolution a
theory, a fact, or both? This question has been debated by critics and defenders of evolution for many years. 

Some claim that evolution is a theory, not a fact. Others claim that evolution is a fact, not a theory. And still others say that evolution is both a theory and a fact

What exactly is going on here?

One reason why the debate persists is that people disagree not only on the strength of the evidence for evolution, but also on the meanings of the key terms, “theory” and “fact”

This course is designed to help you understand and think critically about debates about science and within science that turn on the
meanings of terms like “theory”, “fact”, “law”, “hypothesis” and “model”.

Note:
The first part of the course includes a broad overview of the concept of SCIENCE LITERACY and why traditional science education FAILS to teach science literacy.

The course has approximately 50 videos with a total viewing time of over 5 hours

How This Course Came To Be

In this video I review the backstory of my involvement in science literacy education and motivations for a course like this.

Contents

Introduction

How This Course Came to Be
Preview

Why is Science Literacy Important, and How Should We Teach It?

Introduction to the Videos in This Section
Preview
Should We Expect Our Politicians To Be Science Literate?
Preview
Why Most People (Even People with PhDs in Science) are Scientifically Illiterate
A Curriculum For Teaching Genuine Science Literacy: Overview
The Vocabulary of Science
The Logic of Science
The Methods of Science
The Landscape of Science
The Ethics of Science

Part 1: The Vocabulary of Science: First Steps to Science Literacy

Question: Is Evolution a Theory, a Fact, or Both?
Overview of the Course
Preview

1. An Important Distinction For the Whole Course

Epistemically Loaded versus Epistemically Neutral Language

2. What is a Theory?

"It's Just a Theory": "Theory" as Down-Player
"Theories are the Pinnacles of Science": "Theory" as Up-Player
Why We Need a Neutral Definition of "Theory"
Preview
A Neutral Definition of "Theory": A Classical (but incomplete) Story
A Neutral Definition of "Theory": A More Sophisticated Story

3. What is a Fact?

"You Can't Deny the Facts": A Loaded Definition of "Fact"
Preview
"I Had the Facts Wrong": A Neutral Definition of "Fact"
Can There Be Theoretical Facts?

4. What is a Law?

Loaded Definitions of "Law"
Preview
Examples of Laws in Biology and Psychology
Examples of Laws in Astronomy and Physics
Unpacking the Neutral Concept of "Law"
Preview
But Are There Any Laws?
A Quick Word: Are Laws Explanatory?

5. What is a Hypothesis?

"That's Just a Hypothesis": A Loaded Definition of "Hypothesis"
A Neutral Definition of "Hypothesis"
Preview

6. What is a Model?

Introduction: What is a Model?
Maps and Models
Preview
Models as Tools For Reasoning About the World
Preview
How Equations Can Be Models
Is There a Difference Between a Model and a Theory?

7. Theories, Models, Truth and Reality

Introduction: Theories, Models, Truth and Reality
The Challenge of Interpreting Scientific Theories
Preview
Prediction and Truth: Lessons From Ptolemy
Prediction and Truth: Lessons From the Kinetic Theory of Gases

8. Test Yourself: Fact vs Theory vs Hypothesis vs Law ... Explained!

Assignment: Critique a 7 Minute Video on the Vocabulary of Science
Preview
Here's the Video: "Fact vs. Theory vs. Hypothesis vs. Law… EXPLAINED!"
Part 1: The Motivation For the Video
Preview
Part 2: "Scales of Truthiness"
Part 3: The Fundamental Error
Part 4: The Problem With Defining Facts in Terms of Observations
Preview
Part 5: Problems With Defining Hypotheses as Starting Points For Inquiry
Part 6: Problems With Defining Theories as Well-Supported
Preview
Part 7: Problems With Defining Evolution as an Observable Fact
Part 8: Problems With Defining Laws in Terms of Observations
Part 9: Can Laws Explain, or Do They Just Describe? Kepler, Newton and Einstein
Part 10: Analyzing the Last Slide
Part 11: Who is to Blame?

9. Wrapping Up

What's Next?