Transcript Ecology and Environmental Problems

Ecology and Environmental
Problems
• Dr. Ron Chesser – Lecture #1
• Science, Decision-making processes,
social systems & society.
• READING:
• Chapter 1—Key Themes
• Chapter 2 – Thinking Critically about
the Environment
Assignment
• Give me five universally accepted truths.
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What is true? What
information is useful?
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Are your truths different than mine?
What happens when truths conflict?
Can truth be decided by voting?
What role does truth play in democracy?
What role does truth play in society?
What role does truth play in your
personal life?
Conventional Truth vs Ultimate Truth
What is blue (azul, siene, asul)?
Color Blind
About 15-20% of white
Males are color blind.
Color blind see as
25 – spots
Spots – 56
Spots - spots
What number?
“5” is normal
Vision
“2 is blue-green
color-blind
vision
Figure 1.1: Flow diagram describing the scientific method.
Scientific Method
• 1. Observe some aspect of the universe.
• 2. Form a tentative description, called a hypothesis,
that is consistent with what is observed.
• 3. Use the hypothesis to make predictions.
• 4. Test those predictions by experiments or further
observations and modify the hypothesis in the light of
your results.
• 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies
between theory and experiment and/or observation.
Theories, Hypotheses, and Facts
• In popular usage, a theory is just a vague and fuzzy
sort of fact. But to a scientist a theory is a conceptual
framework that explains existing facts and predicts
new ones.
• the theory that "there is an invisible alien reading this
over your shoulder" is not falsifiable. There is no
experiment or possible evidence that could prove that
invisible aliens do not exist. So the Alien Hypothesis is
not scientific.
• A hypothesis is a tentative theory that has not yet been
tested.
Science is consistent
•Results obtained using the scientific
method are repeatable by other scientists.
•It is difficult to change scientific theories